Words and Music—Diane Moser. Using words as a compositional tool will be
the theme of this class. The elements
that exist in poetry, prose, song and short story, are the same elements that
exist in music. There is the pulse of
the work, the rhythms of the words, there is texture and harmony in the flow of
sentences and emotions felt. Students
will examine the historic collaborations of Charles Mingus/Langston Hughes,
David Amram/Jack Kerouac, Bill Zavatsky/ Marc Copland, Jayne Cortez/Ornette
Coleman, as well as poets Steve Dalachinsky, John O’Hara,
composer/saxophonist/poet Oliver
Lake and many others.
Students in the class will compose and perform, and will be composing weekly
assignments throughout the course. A collaboration
with poets and a live concert recording of students’ original compositions is
the final class project. Final
enrollment is at the discretion of the instructor. 2 credits M 2-4
