MusicMaker (JLZ)

August 17, 2009

~ A mysterious sequence of night visions.

The newest movement in the suite of four Music/Art videos being posted over the summer months, partnering my husband Gary’s artwork and my music.

“ Borealis ”
- now ready to view at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZPg8vdqoJg

very different from last month’s light-hearted first movement,
“The Joy of Dance” ( now widely available ).

The project is a collaboration between the Arizona artists and NY videographer Michael Bregman.

August 10, 2009

This just in by email last night from a composer back East.
(I’ve been corresponding with a number of composers since my newest Music/Art video came out last week – “Borealis”. )

Here is an experienced composer speaking from his heart:

“I dream of the day when I can find large enough uninterrupted periods of time to actually write music as I
want to. Knowing even as I do how hard it is to get any of performed — most of the music I’ve written has been for specific programming needs for specific groups I’ve been involved with so it’s always gotten performed, and I haven’t had the problem of writing something and then hoping someone
wants it performed. But that also has limited me in what I could write since I had to take the technical limitations of
the personnel in the groups into account. And ultimately the greatest limiting factor was the lack of time to
experiment, change, re-listen, explore and finally end with works which allowed/forced me to work beyond what I had thought my capabilities are.”

We’re in an era of funding contraction. And I fearthat makes it ever more challenging today for an American composer to establish a distinct personality in new music – one which may not gibe so readily with established styles.

Yet some of us continue to make that statement, take that risk.

J L Zaimont

“L’audace, toujours l’audace!” – Georges Danton