Performer Blogs@Sequenza21.com

Jay C. Batzner is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida where he teaches theory, composition, and technology courses as well as coordinates the composition program. He holds degrees in composition and/or theory from the University of Missouri – Kansas City, the University of Louisville, and the University of Kansas.

Jay's music is primarily focused around instrumental chamber works as well as electroacoustic composition. His music has been recorded on the Capstone, Vox Novus, and Beauport Classical labels and is published by Unsafe Bull Music.

Jay is a sci-fi geek, an amateur banjoist, a home brewer, and juggler.





5/02/2007
Blatant Self Promotion

Well, it has been a hard week of rejections but I'm moving on. I know I've said before that I'm almost immune to rejection, but that isn't totally true (shocked gasp). I was really looking forward to something, thought I had a legitimate shot at it, and was rejected. For obvious reasons, I might add. I'm a little fish in a nonexistent pond. Big Time things just aren't going to happen to me. I'm okay with that, I guess.

Anyhow, cool things ARE happening and I am putting my energies towards them. For those of you in the NYC area (unlike me) there is a concert coming up that may be of interest to some:

The pianist Scott Marosek is giving two concerts with this program:
Toccata by Jay C. Batzner (that's me!)
Fantasy and Song by Jon Christopher Nelson
Boundary Conditions by Brent Miller (WORLD PREMIERE)
A new work for piano and kick drum by Chapman Welch
Sonata No. 2 by Alfred Schnittke
Assorted songs by Olivier Messiaen with soprano Abla Hamza

They are happening here:
Thursday May 10, 2007, 7:30 P.M, $10
The Collected: Contemporary Music & Art
@ SDCA exhibition & performance space
Front St. at Beekman St. (South St. Seaport)

Saturday May 12, 2007, 8 P.M, $10
Broadway Presbyterian Church
114th Street and Broadway
New York, NY 10025

The Toccata of mine is my first "keeper" piece from 1994. Short, barbaric, and fun. I still dig it, which is a good sign. Brent Miller is a real cool composer, too, and I bet you've never heard of him. You should. He is cool in all the ways that I am not. He is the guy that introduced me to David Lynch movies. Say no more.

Anyhow, come if you can. If you can't, don't feel too bad. I won't be there, either...