A lecture/demonstration aimed at musicians who are already performing on acoustic instruments and who want to have a closer look at the possibilities for musical expression offered by the MIDI revolution. Topics may include: COMPUTER INSTRUMENT ENVIRONMENTS – Personal Computers, Dedicated Components, What Electronic MIDI Instruments Can Do, Limitations of Electronic MIDI Instruments HELPFUL CONCEPTS… Read more »
Introduction to the Business of Music
An interactive discussion on various aspects of the music business of interest to those who want to pursue careers in music. Topics may include: advocacy for music – developing communication skills artist/management contracts auditions for symphony orchestras career planning copyrights ensembles – forming and operating them membership in unions music publishing and contracts
Minimalism and the Music of Steve Reich
A lecture/workshop which examines the music of Steve Reich in the context of the minimalist movement. Reich’s compositions, from the early phase pieces to the current video theater works will be examined. The workshop will include a study of rhythmic ideas, structural frameworks and performance techniques. Participants will perform some of Reich’s works and learn… Read more »
Rhythm and Time in Music
A workshop to enable musicians to develop a more comprehensive understanding of rhythm and time in music. This workshop is open to percussionists and non-percussionists. Rhythm in Western music will be examined from a historical perspective. Rhythm in non-Western cultures will be explored and compared to the use of rhythm in Western music. Time in… Read more »
West African Drumming Workshop
A hands-on workshop in which participants will play drum ensemble music from the Ewe, Akan and Dagomba people of Ghana. The workshop can be for any number of people. Groups of 8-10 people at a time will learn to play pieces on traditional West African instruments. Rhythmic construction of the music will be analyzed and… Read more »
Ewazen week begins in Dallas!
NEXUS begins the week of rehearsals and concerts of the new Eric Ewazen concerto in Dallas at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. On Sunday night, November 2nd, things got under way with a wonderful meal hosted by Meadows Wind Ensemble conductor Jack Delaney. Here are some of us returning from that wonderful dinner!
EWAZEN WRITES INUIT-INSPIRED PIECE FOR NEXUS
NEXUS is on their way to the Percussive Arts Society International Convention this week in Austin, Texas. It’s an exciting time! NEXUS will be performing the world premiere of “The Eternal Dance of Life” by acclaimed composer Eric Ewazen. The new piece was written specifically for NEXUS with wind ensemble. For the premiere, the Meadows… Read more »
Welcome to the NEXUS site!
Welcome to the NEXUS site and my blog. All five Nexonians were in Toronto this week preparing the new piece by Eric Ewazen to be premiered in Dallas and Austin next week at PASIC. The 4-movement work is scored for five percussionists and wind ensemble. The final version of the solo parts arrived only a… Read more »
Skype to the Rescue
Welcome to the new NEXUS website! It’s a total revamp with information and resources for presenters, students, fans and fellow artists, and blogs for each of us so we can keep you up to the minute with NEXUS news, answer queries and provide you with some interesting peeks behind-the-scenes. Coming soon will be a new… Read more »
Welcome!
Hello everyone and welcome to my blog on the new Nexus website.
2009-10 Events
Sept. 2009 through June 2010 – Bill is an Associate Professor of Percussion at the Eastman School of Music, along with Professor Michael Burritt and Charles Ross, the Principal Timpanist of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. October 29, 2009 – Bill will present a one-hour “Creative Music Making” workshop for the percussion studio class at the… Read more »
Hello World!
Hi, this is Garry and welcome to my blog. I’d be happy to communicate to you about any of the Nexus activities. In our workshops I offer a session dedicated to the acoustics of percussion I call Sound Advice. I am interested in instrument building and tuning. In fact, you might want to check out… Read more »
“A Page of Madness” performed in Germany
NEXUS performs “A Page of Madness”
Hamburg, Germany
July 24, 2005
2009 Events
January 10, 2009. Workshops (Rudimental Arithmetic and Cymbals) and concert with UofM Percussion Ensemble, Minnesota Percussion Association Day of Percussion, Anoka, MN. Host, Bojan Hoover. Information HERE. January 31, 2009. Workshop and concert with Ensemble á percussion Sixtrum, University of Montréal, Montréal, PQ. Host, Robert Leroux. March 3, 2009. Performance of Reich: Music for 18 Musicians, Alice… Read more »
Calendar
2008 March 30 – Solo concert at the Music Gallery, 197 John Street, Toronto. Featuring music by John Cage, including the Toronto premier of Dance Music for Elfrid Ide (1940), and NEXUS’ arrangements of songs by Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu, as featured on their newest CD, Wings. Also performing with NEXUS will be virtuoso pianists… Read more »
