To support a brief lecture tomorrow and Friday at Carleton University (Canada) on my composition work, I’ve uploaded an old video of the piece featured in the talk, Torrid Bloom:

I was invited by the class to say a few words about my work

I wanted to share my recent joy. My partner, “Titania”, pulled through a near fatal bout with bacterial meningitis. She entered hospital on Friday and I’ve been with her there each day. Finally today she turned a corner and has climbed out of danger.

She had end stage kidney failure while quite young and the organ transplants require immuno-suppression, thus increasing her vulnerability to such bugs. Upon leaving the hospital today I felt more joy than I can remember. Ever.

Jeff Kowalkowski is doing a great service accumulating on the New Music Green Mill blog interviews of my Chicago colleagues. Charles Lipp and Frank Abbinanti are now up. I look forward to many more.

WordPress finally implemented integrated Soundcloud player support. It’s rather nifty. Have a look at my soundbites page.

I was honoured by New Music Green Mill who published an interview of me, “Jeff K: 10 Questions for Falesch“. Thanks to Jeff Kowalkowski for honouring me as the first interviewee on the blog. I look forward to reading future interviews of my Chicago colleagues!

On Sunday, Jeremy nailed my piece with blistering and vivacious playing.  So many old friends and colleagues were at the Green Mill and it was great to reconnect. Julia’s top curatorial powers were once again in evidence. Kudo kudo!

A review of the concert is now up at the New Music Green Mill blog:  One Listener’s Interpretation of May 03, 2009 at the Green Mill

We Gave Them No Mirrors (1:37)

August 25, 1995, CHICAGO, IL:   The Cook County Coroner’s office has reported that the unclaimed bodies of forty-four victims of the recent heatwave will be buried at Homewood Memorial Garden Cemetery. This is one of the largest mass burials in the state’s history.

(I wrote the poem We Gave Them No Mirrors in response to the tragedy of that heatwave in 1995.  In this recording, the reader is Pete Grocok of Leeds, UK, an accomplished actor and director)

Looks like Ogdensburg. This city boy is going semi-rural (they have broadband internet, so, I’ll be okay).

I’ve been consumed, of late, with work on my first pop-tune ever. The British composer/pianist/vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Imogen Heap submitted raw tracks of vocals only (i.e., the stems of a potential multi-track mix).  These vocal tracks implied a structure, tonality, chord progression, etc, and a very ingraciating tune it is, or, could become, I thought.  So, I think I’m done with a reasonable version of it and just uploaded it to my Soundcloud page:

The Song That Never Was

It’s a remix contest, and if I still like my work in another day or two, I’ll submit it to her. (edit: I submitted it!)

Jerry will perform Versírás again in May.  He will also team up with Steve Butters to perform the Saxophone-Percussion Duo by my friend Charles Lipp.