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.





1/11/2008
Still get excited

You know what? I still get excited when things go my way. That might sound like the most obvious statement I could make, but it is really true. The rejection letters don't bother me so much (depending on the letter some are more troublesome than others) but when something clicks, I'm flyin' high.

For example, yesterday I got a phone call from Shawn Galvin who is the principle timpanist for the Navy Band. He is going to play the solo part of my Concerto for Timpani at the CMS SuperRegional Conferense at LSU next month and needed the part to practice. Well, I haven't heard anything official from CMS yet, but I'm really stoked about it. A performer contacts me out of the blue and wants my music? That is still squarely in the "awesome" column of my book.

I know some composers who don't get that excited about performances of their pieces in certain venues. Or others that grow tired of having so many performances of certain works of theirs. I must say that I hope I never feel that way. While I'm no superstar getting performances every other day, I am getting some cool opportunities and exciting performances on an almost regular basis. And they always fire me up. I hope they always do.