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This is a different kind of group, with a different kind of mission. The idea behind forming “AnyWhen,” and for writing this program, was to bring all of my musical interests together into a cohesive whole. For me, this means musical genres ranging from romantic orchestral music, modernist chamber music, traditional and contemporary jazz, and free improvised music, as well as rock, electronica and folk musics. In broader terms, I’m interested in any music in which emotional and intellectual honesty are the key values, regardless of genre. In composing this music there was no invalid source of inspiration; any genre can be combined with any other genre, any chord can follow any other chord, any sound can be musical sound. My role, then, as the composer, is to find the meaning of these sounds and find ways to present them with the most clarity and honesty using this ensemble as my instrument. You will hear every member of the ensemble improvise in every capacity, from traditional melodic improvisation, to collective sound-based free improvisation and guided improvisations where I have provided some concrete direction to the musicians.
The word “anywhen”, which has largely dropped out of use in modern English, means “at any time.” To me the word expresses a certain sense of mobility and adaptability. Someone who uses this word has no problem with not knowing exactly how or when something will happen, but that when it does, he can respond to the situation in the right way. The word “anywhen” expresses a confidence in flexibility that, to me, carries with it a great sense of optimism, and describes in a more abstract way how I feel about the arts of improvisation and composition: the composer and the improvisor are constantly shaped by the world around them and, in turn, shape their music to express their experience. With this program, I wanted to create music that moves.
I named all the tunes after some of my favorite bridges from all over the world across which I have driven or walked, over which I have flown, under which I have sailed. Each piece captures a different element of either the bridge itself, or the places it connects. Just as bridges connect our world, I hope this music will connect you to the people and places in the world around you.
Many heartfelt thanks to my family, friends, teachers, colleagues and to you, the audience, for helping to make this music possible, and thanks to the band for bringing it to life.
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