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.
It is better if you read the title of this posting as if you were Indiana Jones looking into the Well of Souls for the first time.
Anyhow, my daughter Daria is clearly becoming her own person. While visiting relatives a few weeks ago she watched Mamma Mia. Now she is obsessed with the music. She wants to listen to the soundtrack all the time. I actually bought the ABBA Gold collection from iTunes, but she won't listen to that. She doesn't like that version, she just wants the soundtrack version.
Daria likes Pierce Brosnan's singing? We waive that point. We do not press it. We look over it. There are bigger issues at stake: my daughter likes disco. She was exposed to the Village People while at the YMCA (she goes there a lot, you see) and she could also listen to Celebration by Kool & the Gang on an infinite loop.
I guess this is good, right? She is more diverse about music than she is about food. She enjoys the Aquabats, TMBG, anything musical theater/light opera, as well as the cheesy tweenie pop things from the Tinkerbell movie. She also likes electroacoustic music (she calls it "open door" music but that is another post).
She is only 3 (will be 4 in April). There are worse things, right? I need assurances. Tell me this is just a phase. And just how mad should I be at my sister for enabling the addiction?
posted by Jay C. Batzner
2/17/2009
Concert tonight
If you are in Orlando, and you probably aren't, I'm curating another electroacoustic concert at UCF tonight. Things kick off at 8 PM in the Rehearsal Hall. Here is the program:
Welcome to Medicare by Mark Wingate
?p?x ? h/4? by Mike McFerron (the title doesn't display correctly when the blog is published, even though it looks fine in the preview. Oh well.)
Friction by Jason Bolte
Marimbella by HyeKyung Lee (Jamila Tekalli, piano)
Pente by Denis Smalley
I go for a certain amount of sonic variety since the genre is so diverse. Wingate's piece is incredibly funny, entertaining, and extremely well crafted. McFerron's work is ebullient and rhythmic (and available on iTunes). Bolte's composition is powerful, noisy, and uses spectrum and space in amazing ways. Marimbella is simple and pretty. Smalley's work is, to me, epic. It is one of the greatest tape pieces I've ever heard. If I'm not careful, I'm going to have another choke moment. So very beautiful.
Anyhow, come if you can. If you can't, I understand. You'll be at the next one (March 17th).
posted by Jay C. Batzner
2/13/2009
I'm such a nerd
When I woke up this morning, I didn't know today was going to be 1234567890 day.
But it is. And I'm going to celebrate.
This actually reminds me of what got me interested in electroacoustic composition: Negativland. Back when I was an undergraduate, a friend of mine played "Time Zones" for me off of Negativland's Escape from Noise album. I Instantly loved the track and everything about the album. You should go hear "Time Zones" if you haven't heard it already. The whole album is on iTunes so you can hear it today. Right now. I'll wait.
That album taught me what you could do with recorded sound. I knew I wanted to do that but had no idea how. When I look back, I can see how Negativland shaped my interest in electroacoustic music. Some 15 years later, I'm a little closer.
posted by Jay C. Batzner
2/05/2009
Important Announcement
While the blogs here are all music oriented most of the time, I felt the need to fill you all in on another important facet of my creative output.
Last night, I bottled my Honey Brown beer. In two weeks, it should be drinkable. It has a mild sweetness to it and just a little hop bitterness. The style is a bit like the Dundee Honey Brown but not nearly as cloyingly sweet and soft.
It feels good to make beer again. I brewed a batch before moving to Florida in 2006 and didn't brew again until December of 2007. Florida was too hot for yeast fermentation without refrigeration (and my Kelvinator broke down before the move). I bought a used Keg-o-rater which is perfect - perfect, I say, for my beer brewing needs. It is just the right size and it has a tap on the top. I don't keg my beer yet but I will soon.
I've missed my hobby. I'd been without a hobby for a long time and it was really starting to bug me. Music can't be the ONLY thing I do. Now I'm back in action and stimulating the economy with purchases of beer ingredients.
posted by Jay C. Batzner
2/03/2009
Mnemonic Challenge
I challenged my class for a mnemonic device yesterday. After 15 seconds, a student said:
