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.
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11/20/2006
"Getting Better"
You know what phrase I'm tired of? "Things will get better." Since moving to Florida, my life has taken a pretty severe down turn. One or two good things have happened, but most of those were in place before I came to the "Sunshine State." Anything initiated since July has turned to shit. Yet people tell me that "things will get better." I don't think they have any idea of how much worse things can (and most likely will) get.
If I was alive 150 years ago, I suppose I could turn all this stuff into awesome music. The problem is I'm tired of depressing music. Everything seems to be about tragedy and pain and such. While those are all the things active in my life, I want nothing to do with them in my music. Is that wrong?
Wasn't it Rautavaara who said something about writing music that reflected the world not as it was but as he wished it would be? The only problem I'm having now is getting away from the world that IS so I can make the one I WANT.
*sigh* Sorry to be on the dark side today. It is the only one I have handy. I'm printing some staff paper and hoping for the best.
posted by Jay C. Batzner
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