Alexandra Gardner | Building Noises

Wow, I’m not doing very well writing about events before they happen – had a nice post planned to preview yesterday’s Livingroom Music Project Concert, but being involved in the organizing process took over.

First, a quick bit of background: Randy Hostetler was a hugely talented composer who passed away much, much too early, at the age of 32. His family started up the Randy Hostetler Livingroom Music Project in his memory, named after the concerts he used to present in his living room in Los Angeles. They have a website which is a great resource for experimental music – I encourage you to check out the concert listings in the kitchen, the links to all sorts of interestingness in the resource room, and most of all to visit randy’s room, which contains a beautiful selection of writings by and about Randy, as well as samples of his music, pictures and remembrances of his inspirational life.

So the concert! It was lots of fun (even more than I expected), and very quirky…in a completely good way! There was a fantastic toy piano involved…

….of which I became very fond after “foster parenting” it for the past week. I didn’t want to give it back! So much personality….here it is trying to look like a grown-up piano:

There were also some crazy cabaret songs by the composer Jaroslav Jezek (apologies for the bad photo – practice needed!) arranged by Maurice Saylor:

Not to mention a bit of juggling! Jenny Lin, who has now distinguished herself as the first official new music stunt pianist, performed Randy’s composition 8, which involves tossing about a billiard ball – she was so fast I couldn’t even catch her:

This sort of thing doesn’t happen often in DC! What also doesn’t happen often is such a large and enthusiastic crowd – about 200 people! The audience connected with the music, and the event bubbled with a spirit of celebration. Satisfaction City!

Here’s the program:

Karlheinz Essl, Kalimba (2005) for toy piano and cd playback
Jenny Lin, Piano

Alexandra Gardner, electric blue pantsuit (2007) for violin and computer sound
Jennifer Choi, Violin
Alexandra Gardner, Computer

Greg Sandow, Short Talks, for Piano and Drum (2008)
Jenny Lin – piano and drum

Michael Henderson, Emerald Run (1990) for solo violin
Jennifer Choi – Violin

Derek Bermel, Thracian Sketches (2003) for solo clarinet
Derek Bermel, Clarinet

Intermission

Randall Woolf, Try to Believe (2008) for film and violin
Jennifer Choi – violin
UMBC Students of Eric Dyer – film

Derek Bermel, SchiZm (1994) for clarinet and piano
Derek Bermel – clarinet
Ruth Rose – piano

Randy Hostetler, 8 (1986) for piano and billiard ball
Jenny Lin – piano and 8 ball

Jaroslav Jezek, Five V+W Songs (l928-1938)
Arrangements and Singing Translations by Maurice Saylor