Iron Ox is just a fun little glimpse into my compositional process. I asked my upstairs neighbor and great singer, Wiltrud Weber to read some excerpts from Venus in Furs by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch (the "M" in S&M) in the original German. Then I approximated the pitches and created a melodies from her speech. Then I wrote a piece for strings based on this sentence: "...like Dionysus, who had the inventor of the Iron Ox roasted within it to see whether his wails and groans really resembled the bellowing of an ox." I'm shelving this piece for now and writing an autobiographical performance piece for solo voice about finding "the real me" both as a person and composer. It will be performed by the very talented singer/songwriter/performer Gelsey Bell as part of a large concert of my own compositions that will also feature my groups String Power, The Golden Crackers (with Matt Crane), and some solo compositions.
I am from Seattle, WA. I've also lived in Boston, the Bay Area and Amsterdam. I play violin with Andy Mullen's Potbelly Gumbo, Emanuel and the Fear and I freelance with classical, jazz, experimental and rock ensembles throughout the NYC area. I am writing a musical, Anthropomorphic, with Tim Young and the Puppetry Arts Theatre, to be premiered on December 12 and 13 in Brooklyn. I hope to reach the point where playing and writing music is its own reward. It's easy to get obsessed with audience approval- and don't get me wrong, I want people to be genuinely moved by the music I make- but I think that the healthiest approach is to derive real satisfaction from the process of creating. And that includes everything from the initial impulse to the final product. Finding that intrinsic motivation is the key. I like to think that whether or not I become really famous or successful, I will always be able to enjoy making music.
Rock Show @ The Knit July 11th!!! This Saturday come to an all ages event w/ Silversafe,So Farr,Soverance,Powerchief,Illusion 33...Doors 7pm $8 @ The Knitting Factory (919 w sprague ave, Spokane WA) Brought to you by www.perfechterproductions.com
Wow, Tom... I like your play and music !!! So glad we met and to know we live so close! Mon, Nov 10th, 7.30pm I will sing some songs w the Pony Trio in the Living Room (Googie's Lounge), maybe u wanna stop by ? See You soon :)
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