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.
Tomorrow is the 60x60 Radio Request Extravaganza Blow-out-palooza! Call and request your favorites! Or call and request my pieces, whichever you prefer.
Here are the details:
The 60X60 RADIO REQUEST EXTRAVAGANZA will air on Afternoon New Music Wednesday April 1st, 2009 between 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
Afternoon New Music is on WKCR 89.9 FM New York in Manhattan (the heart of New York City) and is being hosted by Anne Cammon
During the show please call in or email. (best to email a little before) Our goal for this show is to have interviews with some guests in regards to the 60x60 project as well as air phone calls, as well as broadcast some other 60x60 highlights.
The Telephone Listener Line is (212) 854-9920 for phone requests. The email address for request is Robert.Voisey@gmail.com
I will be checking my gmail account for email requests before the show. That address is Robert.Voisey@gmail.com Use the gmail account for the radio request extravaganza ONLY. All OTHER MAIL should go to Vox Novus at robvoisey@voxnovus.com.
If you have any questions, please let me know. I look forward to hearing your request on the show.
RobVoisey@VoxNovus.com 60x60 Director Living Music Foundation Vice President Founder of Vox Novus http://www.VoxNovus.com
posted by Jay C. Batzner
3/26/2009
April 7th and 8th at Galapogos
Rob Voisey and the Vox Novus All Stars are at it again:
"At Galapagos on Tuesday April 7th 8:00 PM (CD 2006) and Wednesday April 8th 8:00PM (CD 2007) Galapagos is a fabulous venue and the dancers just take the whole thing over the top. It is going to be a wild show. I hope you can make it. It will be kind of a fundraising event. ($10 suggested donation) and we will be selling t-shirts and CDs. Please tell all your fans, friends, family, press."
My own humble Bad Villager (the sound of a piano falling off of a truck) will be Wednesday night. Just in case, you know, you might have a preference.
posted by Jay C. Batzner
3/24/2009
Little Einsteins vs. the Military
My daughter turns 4 next week. One of her current obsessions includes Little Einsteins which is, I must say, not nearly as terrible as I thought it would be. Daria is a lot more interested in my CD collection now that she knows I have music from the show. Will it do the kind of cultural damage to Daria that my parents' Hooked on Classics albums did to me in my youth? Time will tell.
What I was struck by today was the recurring villain Big Jet. Big Jet is a large (duh) blue F-16 type fighter plane. He shows up and causes all kinds of trouble for the 4 kids. In an episode we watched today, Big Jet stole the kids' Show and Tell stuff (musical instruments, dancing shoes, a microphone, and a baton). The kids had to chase Big Jet down and get their stuff back. In other episodes, Big Jet cheats and damages the kids' missions. Finally, I put something together: the villain of these 4 art-driven kids is an anthropomorphic military vehicle. Arts vs. Military is played out in almost every episode.
I like the show more now.
posted by Jay C. Batzner
3/18/2009
Mark Snyder
Last night, Mark Snyder did his one man, three instruments, one laptop, and a video projector show on campus. The concert went well, Mark is a good guy and easy to work with, and it was fun just hanging out with him for a few hours.
Mark's music uses a lot of live electronics and video but the musical language is very straightforward and tonal. It is a great mixture, in my opinion. Some students around here are put off by anything electronic (other than in pop music, which seems odd to me) but Mark's style is very approachable and ambient. And, like I said before, dripping with tonality. Most people I know who work with complex computer interfaces deal in abstract atonality as well. It was refreshing to be reminded that the two things don't have to go together.
The ambient nature of Mark's music got me thinking. I think his direction is one that makes sense to me. I should try a similar approach, make it my own, and see what happens. Go to his website and check out the video pieces Harvey and Alluvium. You'll see what I mean.
posted by Jay C. Batzner
3/14/2009
Not knowing
I forget how useful it is to sometimes proceed from a place of "not knowing." I feel like a lot of the music I wrote when I was younger had an energy to it that I've not been able to reclaim. Once I started studying harder, applying more theory to the creative process, I found my music more structurally defensible but emotionally lacking (and, to add frustration to the mix, I didn't know that I was craving emotional outlets in my music. That made things a lot worse). In other words, I could explain my music more but I liked it a lot less.
Over the past few years, I've been trying to write without theory. When I'm stuck, when I need to see what I should do next, I'll do some analysis and see what it suggests to me. It has been a lot more fun and created much more satisfying music (to me, anyway. Some people might prefer things from my theory days. Can't control that).
And now, to apply the same "not knowing" philosophy to my fantasy baseball draft. I doubt it will be as successful.
posted by Jay C. Batzner
