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.





8/20/2007
5th Festival of Contemporary Music - final report

The concert Saturday night went well. There was a great variety of pieces, both acoustic and electroacoustic, and everything was well performed and programmed. People seemed to like my piece, but in person everyone seems to like it. I suppose it is better than having people spit in my face. Better they do that when I'm not around...

The concert was at a Community Music Center and the hall was a nice intimate venue. So much of the listening that I do these days is online or on CD and it is refreshing to be in a relatively small space with good performers. The organizers of the festival, Brian Bice, John Bilotta, and C. Michael Reese put together a good show. It is a small festival, two concerts on non-consecutive nights in two different venues. The real strength, I think, is that these concerts happen outside of academic places and in "real" communities.

My non-festival highlight of San Francisco was Amoeba Music. I bought a bunch of great CDs from their used and clearance bin and I look forward to scheduling time to eventually be able to listen to them. How can you go wrong with $4 Druckman CDs and Harbison for $2? They even had Trevor Wishart and Jarvinen discs in the clearance/used bin. All told, I bought 8 CDs and spent just pennies over $40. That was almost worth the trip right there...

It was also great to finally meet/greet Adam Fong, Philip Schuessler, and Phil's friend/composer/bass clarinetist Jon Russell (whose name I forgot in my previous post).

Sidebar: lots of Johns at this shindig per capita. Allemeier, Bilotta, Russell. Just a bit over 20% of the composers. Discuss.