In this episode, I am honored to welcome composer Peter Boyer to the Anachronism podcast.  Peter and I crossed paths in conservatory at the Hartt School in Connecticut when we were students. He has gone from there to become one of the most frequently performed American orchestral composers of his generation. His works have received over 500 public performances by nearly 200 orchestras, and thousands of broadcasts by classical radio stations around the United States and abroad. He has conducted recordings of his music with three of the world’s finest orchestras: the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He has received commissions from several of the most esteemed American institutions and ensembles, including the Kennedy Center for the National Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops, Cincinnati Pops, and “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band. Other orchestras which have performed his music include the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Houston Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Nashville Symphony, and Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. We talk about how he got started writing 'classical' music and he shares some of the human side of his journey with orchestral music.  I know you'll be enriched by our discussion. You can learn more about him and his work at https://propulsivemusic.com  - Photo of Peter Boyer courtesy of Danika Singfield.    

Anachronism

Creating Modern Masterworks - An Interview with Composer Peter Boyer

We are back with some active listening. In this episode, I share a recent release, Phi.  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/1djFGNxniWf98LWVO1w5Wk Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/album/phi-feat-peter-pejtsik-the-budapest-film-orchestra/1563857077?i=1563857078 This orchestral work derives its name from its structural reliance upon a special mathematical relationship known by the greek letter that denotes it.  This musical ratio has a long history of influence in the arts, and its manifestations in the natural world are ubiquitous. You'll note the nautilus shell in the album art...there's one clue for you. You can read about Phi and the Golden Proportion (aka the Golden Ratio or Golden Mean) here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio To help you hear the structure of this piece, I share a poem that is built upon the same structural approach.  You will hear Phi in words and music on this episode.   I encourage you to subscribe so that you don't miss some great interviews and discussions coming up.  If you like this podcast, I would be grateful if you would take a minute and leave comments or a review at your favorite podcast location.  You can help me share this experience with others.  

Phi - The Golden Proportion

On this episode, I share insight into my latest release Terra, the Bringer of Life. It was written for a special series of concerts commemorating the 100th anniversary of Gustav Holst's The Planets. I share snippets of the arrangement and line them up with Terra. Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/track/6CY1MNTjfMqpMWydSthnya?si=16b5984ec28241ad Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/terra-the-bringer-of-life-single/1552408114  

Gazing into the heavens with Gustav Holst

In part two of my conversation with Steve, we turn out attention to his work as a composer and how it was that 'classical' music entered his life. I had the pleasure of co-producing concerts in LA with Steve in 2009-2010. Here's a link to our performance of his work, With You Always   Composer Richard Wagner

Cultural Transformation through Music - An Interview with Filmmaker and Composer Stephen Ashley Blake, Part 2

This is the first of a two-part conversation with filmmaker and composer, Stephen Ashley Blake. In this episode, we discuss his current film project, Steal Away. https://stealawaymovie.com/It is the story of how the Fisk Jubilee Singers brought the music of the Spiritual to the world. The influence of their legacy has touched almost every form of modern music making around the world.  We talk about the film and the singers' legacy.Here are links to some of what we touch on:The book that inspired the film Dark Midnight When I RiseThe Cubism of Picasso https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CubismBlack Historian W.E.B DuBois' work The Souls of Black FolkComposer Billy Childs' chamber jazz piece Scarborough Fair   

Cultural Transformation through Music - An Interview with Filmmaker and Composer Stephen Ashley Blake, Part 1

It was a year ago that Benjamin and I spoke about his fine piano artistry on my album, The Gilded Age.  In this second half of our conversation, he plays a bit of music for us and gives us a look inside Liszt's monumental Piano Sonata in b-minor. You can connect with Benjamin on Instagram (@bhardingmusic), facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/benjamin.harding) and his website www.benjaminhardingmusic.com/blog

Learning to play a masterpiece - An Interview with Pianist Benjamin Harding, Part2

It was a year ago that Benjamin and I spoke about his fine piano artistry on my album, The Gilded Age.  With a strange year for so many of us, I wanted to reach back to him to catch up. In this episode he shares an up-close look at the challenge of learning a really challenging piano masterpiece (Franz Liszt's b-minor Piano Sonata), and shares his thoughts about it. We get a glimpse of the technical and emotional challenges such a works presents.  I divided our discussion into two parts.  In part 1, we discuss a little bit about how life has changed for performers in the last year, and we dive into the piece.You can connect with Benjamin on Instagram (@bhardingmusic), facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/benjamin.harding) and his website www.benjaminhardingmusic.com/blog

Learning to play a masterpiece - An Interview with Pianist Benjamin Harding, Part 1

In this episode, I welcome back composer, author, and educator Jeffrey Nytch.  Jeff and I spoke last year about his music, how he discovered the orchestral tradition, and we listened to some of his symphonic music.  In this episode, I touch base with Jeff to hear about the bi-aural audio project he was presenting in Boulder, CO, and then we turn to the impacts of our society's response to the COIVD pandemic on the art and livelihood of classical performers.  It is a conversation filled with insight, and hope, and hope you find his comments as engaging as I did.  You can keep up with Jeff at this website:  https://jeffreynytch.com

Classical Music Entrepreneurship in the time of COVID -Touching Base with Jeffrey Nytch

We're back after a harrowing escape from a potential lifetime of imprisonment in a mysterious musical prison (h/t The Golden Sparrow).  I had the opportunity in September to have a discussion with an outstanding composer and musician, Leanna Primiani, and that conversation is in this episode. Like all my guests, Leanna shares a bit of how she encountered 'classical' music and how it seized her imagination for a lifetime of music creation.  She composes music for media (film/tv/video games) as well as for the orchestral concert stage.  We talk about her sensitivity to the mixture of colors and how this led her to explore the introduction of electronic sounds into the fabric of the orchestra. She's an engaging guest and I know you will enjoy hearing her insights.  Take a moment to learn more about her and hear her music at her website: http://www.leannaprimiani.net/  

Expanding the Orchestral Palette - An Interview with composer Leanna Primiani

"In fevered dreams, my subconscious replayed fragments of my current imprisonment like a stained-glass window assembled by a madman. In my dream I saw glimpses of machines without controls, photos of long-deceased dignitaries, instruments that remained silent, and poetry that I could not read. In short, they were involuntary ruminations of an imagination that had been overwhelmed by an unveiling of truths for which it was unprepared. "Welcome to season two of Anachronism with seven-part adventure through The Golden Sparrow.Part 8 - The FinaleBackground: In March 2019, I opened a musical escape room in my hometown of Fort Collins. It ran for a few months and featured live musicians and musical puzzles.  As a business venture, it was operationally difficult to sustain, but as an artistic enterprise it was quite rewarding. To create the room, I started with the story that grounded the experience and I thought it might make a nice addition to this podcast. I spent the last few months crafting the experience of the escape room into a short tale that I will now share over a series of weeks with you, my listeners.  Join me for a plunge into the mysterious past of Fort Collins, CO with music and imagination. This story will also introduce you to a new recording of the music I composed along with the fragments that comprised the puzzles.If you enjoy the Anachronism podcast, please take a moment to reach out to me. I touch on a lot of different topics, so I'd love to hear from you about what you enjoy, and what I can do to better share my love of music and to enrich your life with these episodes.  Thanks for listening!web: https://gustavhoyer.comemail: salutations@gustavhoyer.comfacebook: https://www.facebook.com/gustavhoyer.composer.impresario/Twitter: @gustavhoyerLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustav-hoyer-9809552/

Part 8: The Golden Sparrow-A journey into a musical escape room

"Flush with the excitement of serendipity, I had a renewed hope of working through the maze set out by Elias Franklin. Having exhausted the desk of its contents, I now turned my attention to other nooks and crannies in his office."Welcome to season two of Anachronism with seven-part adventure through The Golden Sparrow.Part 7 - Puzzling sounds.Background: In March 2019, I opened a musical escape room in my hometown of Fort Collins. It ran for a few months and featured live musicians and musical puzzles.  As a business venture, it was operationally difficult to sustain, but as an artistic enterprise it was quite rewarding. To create the room, I started with the story that grounded the experience and I thought it might make a nice addition to this podcast. I spent the last few months crafting the experience of the escape room into a short tale that I will now share over a series of weeks with you, my listeners.  Join me for a plunge into the mysterious past of Fort Collins, CO with music and imagination. This story will also introduce you to a new recording of the music I composed along with the fragments that comprised the puzzles.If you enjoy the Anachronism podcast, please take a moment to reach out to me. I touch on a lot of different topics, so I'd love to hear from you about what you enjoy, and what I can do to better share my love of music and to enrich your life with these episodes.  Thanks for listening!web: https://gustavhoyer.comemail: salutations@gustavhoyer.comfacebook: https://www.facebook.com/gustavhoyer.composer.impresario/Twitter: @gustavhoyerLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustav-hoyer-9809552/

Part 7: The Golden Sparrow-A journey into a musical escape room

"I stood motionless before the wardrobe for a moment while I waited for something else to happen. I had turned a key in a long dormant lock, and I had no idea what I had opened, or perhaps freed. "Welcome to season two of Anachronism with seven-part adventure through The Golden Sparrow.Part 6 of our story moves into a mysterious chamber.Background: In March 2019, I opened a musical escape room in my hometown of Fort Collins. It ran for a few months and featured live musicians and musical puzzles.  As a business venture, it was operationally difficult to sustain, but as an artistic enterprise it was quite rewarding. To create the room, I started with the story that grounded the experience and I thought it might make a nice addition to this podcast. I spent the last few months crafting the experience of the escape room into a short tale that I will now share over a series of weeks with you, my listeners.  Join me for a plunge into the mysterious past of Fort Collins, CO with music and imagination. This story will also introduce you to a new recording of the music I composed along with the fragments that comprised the puzzles.If you enjoy the Anachronism podcast, please take a moment to reach out to me. I touch on a lot of different topics, so I'd love to hear from you about what you enjoy, and what I can do to better share my love of music and to enrich your life with these episodes.  Thanks for listening!web: https://gustavhoyer.comemail: salutations@gustavhoyer.comfacebook: https://www.facebook.com/gustavhoyer.composer.impresario/Twitter: @gustavhoyerLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustav-hoyer-9809552/

Part 6: The Golden Sparrow-A journey into a musical escape room

Welcome to season two of Anachronism with seven-part adventure through The Golden Sparrow.Part 5 deepens the mystery of 25 Franklin Ln. and its peculiar history.Background: In March 2019, I opened a musical escape room in my hometown of Fort Collins. It ran for a few months and featured live musicians and musical puzzles.  As a business venture, it was operationally difficult to sustain, but as an artistic enterprise it was quite rewarding. To create the room, I started with the story that grounded the experience and I thought it might make a nice addition to this podcast. I spent the last few months crafting the experience of the escape room into a short tale that I will now share over a series of weeks with you, my listeners.  Join me for a plunge into the mysterious past of Fort Collins, CO with music and imagination. This story will also introduce you to a new recording of the music I composed along with the fragments that comprised the puzzles.If you enjoy the Anachronism podcast, please take a moment to reach out to me. I touch on a lot of different topics, so I'd love to hear from you about what you enjoy, and what I can do to better share my love of music and to enrich your life with these episodes.  Thanks for listening!web: https://gustavhoyer.comemail: salutations@gustavhoyer.comfacebook: https://www.facebook.com/gustavhoyer.composer.impresario/Twitter: @gustavhoyerLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustav-hoyer-9809552/

Part 5: The Golden Sparrow-A journey into a musical escape room

Welcome to season two of Anachronism with seven-part adventure through The Golden Sparrow.Part 3 of our story continues our journey deeper into the life and times of Elias Franklin.Background: In March 2019, I opened a musical escape room in my hometown of Fort Collins. It ran for a few months and featured live musicians and musical puzzles.  As a business venture, it was operationally difficult to sustain, but as an artistic enterprise it was quite rewarding. To create the room, I started with the story that grounded the experience and I thought it might make a nice addition to this podcast. I spent the last few months crafting the experience of the escape room into a short tale that I will now share over a series of weeks with you, my listeners.  Join me for a plunge into the mysterious past of Fort Collins, CO with music and imagination. This story will also introduce you to a new recording of the music I composed along with the fragments that comprised the puzzles.If you enjoy the Anachronism podcast, please take a moment to reach out to me. I touch on a lot of different topics, so I'd love to hear from you about what you enjoy, and what I can do to better share my love of music and to enrich your life with these episodes.  Thanks for listening!web: https://gustavhoyer.comemail: salutations@gustavhoyer.comfacebook: https://www.facebook.com/gustavhoyer.composer.impresario/Twitter: @gustavhoyerLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustav-hoyer-9809552/

Parts 3 & 4: The Golden Sparrow-A journey into a musical escape room

Welcome to season two of Anachronism and a new seven-part adventure through The Golden Sparrow.Part 2 of our story continues our journey in the mysterious history of Old Town, Fort Collins, CO. and the legacy of one Elias Franklin.Background: In March 2019, I opened a musical escape room in my hometown of Fort Collins. It ran for a few months and featured live musicians and musical puzzles.  As a business venture, it was operationally difficult to sustain, but as an artistic enterprise it was quite rewarding. To create the room, I started with the story that grounded the experience and I thought it might make a nice addition to this podcast. I spent the last few months crafting the experience of the escape room into a short tale that I will now share over a series of weeks with you, my listeners.  Join me for a plunge into the mysterious past of Fort Collins, CO with music and imagination. This story will also introduce you to a new recording of the music I composed along with the fragments that comprised the puzzles.If you enjoy the Anachronism podcast, please take a moment to reach out to me. I touch on a lot of different topics, so I'd love to hear from you about what you enjoy, and what I can do to better share my love of music and to enrich your life with these episodes.  Thanks for listening!web: https://gustavhoyer.comemail: salutations@gustavhoyer.comfacebook: https://www.facebook.com/gustavhoyer.composer.impresario/Twitter: @gustavhoyerLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustav-hoyer-9809552/

Part 2: The Golden Sparrow-A journey into a musical escape room

In a dense and overstimulated world, slowing down and actively listening to music can bring unexpected richness into your life.

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Anachronism

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