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.





11/28/2007
Almost done

You know what I hate? When things are "almost done." I know that Da Vinci (or somebody like that) claimed that "no work of art is ever finished, it is merely abandoned" and I like the sentiment, but there comes a time when things are ALMOST ready to be abandoned. The final details really stick in my craw. I hate stuck craws.

I love being at the beginning of a project. There is so much potential, so many opportunities, so much passion for what I'm doing that it is really intoxicating. I like being in the thick of the project, too. I'm surrounded in my own world of stuff and it is fun to be down and dirty with it all.

There comes a point, though, when I'm done. The work is complete and all that remains are the fine details, but my energies have been spent and man, I'm just DONE. The fine details are important, of course. I'm not denying that. As they say in the programming world, "there is always one more bug." I dutifully put the finishing touches on things, but I hate to do so and I really drag my feet with it.

The music may be done, but the score isn't yet. Or everything is in Finale but I still need to make it look pretty. And then I have to do the parts. And then make those parts look pretty. And then, and then, and then, and then.

I try to overlap projects so hopefully the energy from one stage overlaps into the other stages of the other projects. Doesn't always work, though. Oh well.