Jay C. Batzner (b. 1974) is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida where he teaches music composition and technology courses as well as coordinates the composition program. In his first year, Jay received two prestigious grants: one to create collaborative works with visual artist Carla Poindexter and the second to initiate electroacoustic music concerts in Orlando. Prior to this position, Jay was an active adjunct professor at several colleges in the Kansas City area while he completed his D.M.A. in Composition at the University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory. While at UMKC, Jay received honors including a Distinguished Dissertation Fellowship and a Dean's Doctoral Scholar Fellowship.
Jay's music ranges from instrumental chamber works to electroacoustic compositions. He has participated in numerous national and international festivals including the Wellesley Composers Conference and the International Young Composers' Meeting in the Netherlands. His music is published by Unsafe Bull Music and has been recorded on the Capstone and Vox Novus labels. Jay is a frequent contributor to the new music website Sequenza21.com and a founding member of the composers organization The Collected.
Jay is a sci-fi geek, an amateur banjoist, a home brewer, and juggler.
|
10/16/2006
Festivaled
I am back from Electronic Music Midwest. My Miniatures seemed to have gone well. I got several positive comments on the piece so I guess that means my improv was successful, too. Unfortunately, due to our only technical glitch of the whole festival, my piece did not get recorded. Oh well. I'll get some face time with a grand piano and make a little studio reference recording. I'd better do it soon, since there are a few November 1 deadlines...
The festival, as a whole, was a success. There was a concert devoted to 50 years of electroacoustic music from Chile that was pretty cool. It was interesting to see how their electronic music was different for not have serialism as a primary aesthetic tool. There was one video work which was aMAZing. Heavy on the MAZ.
But, music aside, I got to pal around with some friends that I haven't seen in a while. That was the best part. That, and playing practical jokes on my former teacher, Paul Rudy. Picture this, Paul is sitting at the mixer, ready to diffuse his "November Sycamore Leaf" for the festival crowd on the final concert. Little did he know that we replaced his CD with a CD of "It's Raining Men." Once the music started (cued up to the chorus, of course), we kicked in the disco lights and everything. It was great. It would have been better if we had gone with our original choice: "Morning Train" by Sheena Easton, but the iTunes store doesn't carry that track.
Probably for just that reason.
Anyhow, it was a non-restful weekend. But in a good way.
posted by Jay C. Batzner
|
| |
