Jay C. Batzner is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida where he teaches theory, composition, and technology courses as well as coordinates the composition program. He holds degrees in composition and/or theory from the University of Missouri – Kansas City, the University of Louisville, and the University of Kansas.
Jay's music is primarily focused around instrumental chamber works as well as electroacoustic composition. His music has been recorded on the Capstone, Vox Novus, and Beauport Classical labels and is published by Unsafe Bull Music.
Jay is a sci-fi geek, an amateur banjoist, a home brewer, and juggler.
Should I rewrite some of my pieces for a more standard ensemble? That is the question.
I have always been taught to be practical and it is something that I tend to pass along to my students (funny how that works). In my orchestration class I talk about "standard" instrumentation and the financial reality that hampers writing outside of the norm. My intent is not to dissuade them from writing orchestral music but to be aware of the instrumentation limitations inherent in the medium. In other words, they might hire 4 more horn players to play Mahler, but they aren't going to do that for my piece.
In my own large ensemble pieces, though, I have not followed my own advice. I have 4 pieces for "large" groups and none of them are for a standard ensemble: tenor and orchestra (twas my master's thesis) 5 voices and odd wind combinations (written specifically for a festival) 2 pianos and chamber orchestra (written specifically for a festival) wind ensemble with too many "unusual" instruments (DMA dissertation)
I've thought of redoing the tenor and orchestra piece for a chamber ensemble but I just don't think the piece is worth it. It was useful in that it got me my degree. Musically it is pretty good (I think, it has been several years) and might deserve to be reissued. The 5 voices piece is only 3 minutes long and needs never see the light of day again. No loss there. My dissertation will be reworked for a more "traditional" instrumentation but I'll always prefer the one I really wrote. Bands tend to be a bit more fluid on instrumentation than orchestras, anyway.
The 2 piano work I'd like to see done again. It was a very important piece for me and my output. I have been thinking of scoring out one of the pianos and beefing up the winds (there were only 1 of each and I think with 2 of each I can cover everything). It would revive the piece in my catalog and, finally, give me a stock small orchestra piece. There were some musical gaffes in it, too, which I could smooth out.
My question is this: should I rework the old piece or just take that energy and write a new one?
posted by Jay C. Batzner
10/16/2006
Festivaled
I am back from Electronic Music Midwest. My Miniatures seemed to have gone well. I got several positive comments on the piece so I guess that means my improv was successful, too. Unfortunately, due to our only technical glitch of the whole festival, my piece did not get recorded. Oh well. I'll get some face time with a grand piano and make a little studio reference recording. I'd better do it soon, since there are a few November 1 deadlines...
The festival, as a whole, was a success. There was a concert devoted to 50 years of electroacoustic music from Chile that was pretty cool. It was interesting to see how their electronic music was different for not have serialism as a primary aesthetic tool. There was one video work which was aMAZing. Heavy on the MAZ.
But, music aside, I got to pal around with some friends that I haven't seen in a while. That was the best part. That, and playing practical jokes on my former teacher, Paul Rudy. Picture this, Paul is sitting at the mixer, ready to diffuse his "November Sycamore Leaf" for the festival crowd on the final concert. Little did he know that we replaced his CD with a CD of "It's Raining Men." Once the music started (cued up to the chorus, of course), we kicked in the disco lights and everything. It was great. It would have been better if we had gone with our original choice: "Morning Train" by Sheena Easton, but the iTunes store doesn't carry that track.
Probably for just that reason.
Anyhow, it was a non-restful weekend. But in a good way.
posted by Jay C. Batzner
10/11/2006
Then again, he didn't say he LIKED it...
I have a review! My first real review done by a total stranger. John R Raush reviewed the CD Dusk which contains my Concerto for Timpani with Percussion Ensemble. The review is mainly about the performances. About my piece, he said this:
"Batzner favors displaying the fiery nature of the timpani, maintaining a dramatic intensity in both the solo part and the ensemble accompaniment."
I like it. I'm using it on my website. Now I need to collect about half-a-dozen more and assemble a real "quotes and reviews" page. Do you want to give me a quote? A review? I'm an easy target. Even if you hate my stuff, and tell me so in the most vile ways imaginable, I may use it.
Anyhow, off to Chicagoland tomorrow. I'll try to report from the road. If you want to hear my piece, stream this! starting at 10:30 AM CDT on Friday. I should be about halfway through the program - right after the video piece.
posted by Jay C. Batzner
10/10/2006
Two firsts in one...
Friday I am giving the premiere performance of my Miniatures for piano and tape. I have made a LOT of changes to the pieces since they were accepted to the EMM Festival (thank goodness for the "work-in-progress" submissions!).
Anyhow, I ditched a complete miniature in favor of a Negativland-themed romp. It works a lot better than what I had, that is for darned sure. You can hear the tape part (I haven't recorded the piano part) right here.
As for that piano part, I made another startling choice. I've decided to improvise the part. This is not an act of laziness or desperation. It is just that, based on the tape parts, I don't think a structured piano part is appropriate. I know the "rules of the game" for each of the movements and I'm just going to go out and do what seems right at the time. The tape part is never, ever going to change. The piano part always will. I find it very appealing. The audience may find it appalling, but I think it is the right decision.
So, the twofer firsts: first performance for instrument and tape, first improvisational composition. Strange bedfellows, I know, but I likes 'em that way...
posted by Jay C. Batzner
10/04/2006
The Rush
Boy, have I missed this feeling.
I've been sending out scores like a maniac this week. It has been a while! Last year my time was spent with prepping and sending vast quantities of job applications. You loyal readers to the BatzBlog will remember those days.
Sending out applications meant that I wasn't sending out scores. There just weren't enough hours in the day, enough toner in the printer, enough paper at OfficeMax. And certainly not enough cash in the BatzBank. But now that I'm in my cushy faculty gig, get this, I don't have to pay for postage! Mu-ah-ha-ha! It counts as my research/creative activities! Double mu-ah-ha-ha!
There also happen to be a lot of calls for scores that I've seen that match up with what I've written. Very often that is not the case. Since I spent all of last year writing ONE piece and it can't be performed in its current state (instrumentation issues), a lot of my smaller pieces from 2 years ago can finally come out of the drawer and into the great unknown.
Yes, this means that I'm due for many more rejection letters. After applying for jobs I consider myself rather immune to rejection letters. They can send my scores back covered in human waste and I won't care that much. Yes, I'll call OSHA, but the rejection won't be that big of a deal.
Besides, if you can't tell, I get a bit of a high from prepping and mailing out scores. I fills my day with possibilities. My to-do list is being ignored, my homework and exams aren't getting graded, but I MIGHT get a performance or two out of today's activities. And it feels good to have my system back. When it comes to cranking out scores, I am a machine. It is a thing of beauty. My office door is open but none of the passing students truly "get" how cool I am at this moment.
Triple mu-ah-ha-ha!
posted by Jay C. Batzner
10/03/2006
Another one, then I'll stop.
I think I was about 10 years old when I got my first Spike Jones and the City Slickers records. In many ways, they make up the core of my musical self. I'm working on making them more of a surface feature of my music but that is a rather difficult process. It would be like pulling out those "piano pieces" I wrote when I was 6 and trying to turn them into a "real" piece.
Anyhow, this video shows just how talented these players were. I showed this to my orchestration class after our string unit...
