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Creative Music Making Course - spring 2012 by Bill

Eastman School of Music - January 17 to February 28, 2012

This was the second  year in which I facilitated a Creative Music Making (CMM) course as part of the Eastman School’s Arts Leadership Program.  As in the first year (2011) the course consisted of seven weekly 2-hour-long sessions focused on freeform improvisation based on my book, Creative Music Making, published by Routledge Books in 2005.  

In each session the participants performed and recorded improvised pieces for immediate playback, listening, analysis, and discussion.  The final …

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Review of the NEXUS concert at California Lutheran University - March 2012 by admin

Click HERE to read the review of the NEXUS solo concert on March 2, 2012 at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California.

Review: Standing Ovation in California for NEXUS by Peggy

Sequenza 21 website has published a great review of NEXUS at California Lutheran University. Read it in full here. It is written by “PaulM”, who notes that Samuelson Chapel was “noticeably full” for NEXUS who has “a presence worldwide”. He mentions NEXUS’ “good groove”, and describes each piece that NEXUS played in detail. He appreciated “the precision of NEXUS in their performance of a portion of Steve Reich’s Drumming:

” It was intriguing …

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“What do they play? Everything.” by Peggy

California’s Ventura County Star ran a great little article about NEXUS a few days ago.  Have a look by clicking here. The article points out that, rather than “having a midlife career crisis about now”, NEXUS has mastered the art of  “meshing together as a group (’nexus,’ after all, means ‘connection’).”

The article also talks about some of the amazingly diverse range of workshops that NEXUS presents, the exciting NEXUS collaborations over the …

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NEXUS “a pleasure to see and hear” in California by Peggy

NEXUS had a great time at California Lutheran U. where they performed and presented a workshop. They are pictured here during the bows following Steve Reich’s Music for Pieces of Wood. David Johnson (centre) performed the piece with them. David is a composer and percussionist who is a faculty member at the nearby California Institute of the Arts.   Also in attendance was percussionist Aaron Smith who teaches at California …

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One Last Bar, Then Joe Can Sing - “amazing” by Peggy

We have received a wonderful comment from a listener who just heard NEXUS performing Gavin Bryar’s One Last Bar, Then Joe Can Sing on WRCJ Detroit. He says “it was amazing!”

The piece was commissioned for NEXUS by the Arts Council of Great Britain, and NEXUS premiered this work at  Queen Elizabeth Hall in London in November, 1994. The recording for the CD, (which is entitled Farewell to Philosophy) took place in Kilbourn …

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An innovative music department at Wittenberg U., Ohio. by Peggy

NEXUS is performing in Wittenberg University’s Weaver Chapel in Springfield Ohio in a few weeks. The school motto, “Having light, we pass it on to others” can be seen in their cutting-edge music department. More than 70% of Wittenberg’s students enroll in music lessons, ensembles, or classes during their time on campus, and by doing so, have access to an impressive collection of computer facilities and music instruments including the John M. Chowning Laboratory for …

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“Challenging the mind, Inspiring the soul” in Georgia. by Peggy

That’s the motto of LaGrange College in west-central Georgia, and NEXUS will be doing just that in a few weeks when they perform there, in the Callaway Concert Series.

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Creative Programming in Little Rock, Arkansas by Peggy

NEXUS will be in residence at the Episcopal Collegiate School in Little Rock Arkansas, March 13 and 14. Our host, percussionist Erick Saoud, has NEXUS happily filling every moment with student interactions.

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Bill Cahn Highlights - Spring 2012 by Bill

Monday, January 2 - Bill begins his first term as the Chair of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s Honorary Board of Directors.  Responsibilities will include serving on the Governance, Education, and Strategic Plan Implementation committees. 

Tuesday, January 17 - Bill’s course, “Creative Music Making,” based on his book (Routledge, 2005) begins as part of the Arts Leadership Program begins at the Eastman School of Music  -.  The course will continue every Tuesday for seven weeks.  Bill also begins his 4th year as Associate Professor of …

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California Dreamin’ by Peggy

In three weeks, NEXUS is heading to L. A., and the “logistics” emails are flying: instruments, flights, program notes, and a zillion other things are being put into place. The group is performing on March 2nd at California Lutheran University in the city of Thousand Oaks (just northwest of Los Angeles),

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NEXUS Cover Art # 8 : Julie Delton on “Rituals” by Peggy

Rituals is a four-movement concerto for percussion and orchestra composed by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. The piece was co-commissioned in 2003 by NEXUS, the IRIS Orchestra, the Pearl Corporation, Kathleen Holt and Stephen Lurie, and Adams Musical Instruments. The recording is available from NAXOS. Rituals has received high praise. New Music Box calls it  “one of Zwilich’s most exciting compositions to date” and said, “Wherever you are, demand that your local orchestra programs this blockbuster …

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From the Archives #10: Paul Horn + NEXUS by Peggy

“Paul Horn + NEXUS” is an album that has been long out of print. It was originally released in 1975 (one of NEXUS’ earliest recordings) on Epic (KE33561).  Through inspired improvisations, NEXUS with Paul Horn on flutes and alto sax  created an emotionally potent and stylistically diverse album merging rhythms and cultural influences from South America, Africa, India, Tibet and the U.S.A. The NEXUS personnel at the time were  John Wyre, Russell Hartenberger, Bob …

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Looking Forward by Peggy

How is your New Year? Everyone at NEXUS is busy. Ray has been lining up the many logistics for a very busy Spring that will take NEXUS from California to Arkansas, then Georgia, Ohio and Rochester NY.

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Showa Repertoire - December, 2011 by Bill

My eleventh residency at the Showa Music Academy in Kawasaki since 1998 included:

* performance on a gala percussion concert in the academy’s opera house (Teatro Giglio)

* 44 private lessons 

* 11 small ensemble coaching sessions

* 1 Creative Music Making (freeform improvisation) workshop 

* 1 videotaped interview for students in the English language class

* 1 formal address to the entire Showa faculty and administration at their monthly meeting

Here is a listing of the repertoire I heard in lessons and rehearsals during my 2-week …

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