2003 February | April | May

2002 January | March | April | May | June | September

2001 January | March | May | June | July | November | December

2000 October | December

CHAPTER CELEBRATES RE-LAUNCH OF THE MUSIC ROOM

(MAY 2003) The chapter joined forces with supporters Judith and Ronald Rosen to re-launch The Music Room. The area salon, originally conceived and organized by arts patron Betty Freeman in the 1980s, brought composers, music patrons, and members of the arts community together for informal listening sessions and discussions with featured composers.

On March 9, the Rosens hosted the first event of the revived program at their home. An audience of 70 people gathered as music critic Alan Rich moderated the session with MacArthur Award-winning composer George Lewis and Berkeley Symphony Composer-in-Residence Naomi Sekiya.

The session also provided Chapter Board President William Kraft and Judith Rosen with an opportunity to acquaint guests with chapter programming. Following the session, audience members had a chance to meet and mingle with chapter board members over a buffet supper.

THOMAS KELLEY BRINGS AFRICAN FOLKSONGS TO COMPOSERS SUITCASE

(MAY 2003) In March 2003, composer Thomas Kelly worked with second graders at Sorensen, Phelan, and Longfellow schools, as part of a Composers Suitcase™ unit exploring African American music. Kelly dazzled students by wearing a different African costume for each visit. The children got to play huge drums, shakers, and other instruments from the continent. They improvised with African folksongs and learned traditional drumming patterns.

COMPOSER DAVID O WORKS WITH CHILDREN AT MAKING MUSIC

(MAY 2003) On January 18, the chapter launched a Making Music residency with composer David O and the Eagle Rock Community Cultural Center. An after-school music program for students nine to 12, Making Music helps children explore their creativity. Under David O’s guidance, the 12 participants have been creating their own percussion instruments, playing in a percussion ensemble, and learning how to write graphic scores for ensemble improvisation.

The residency included "Grandparents Day," where parents and grandparents joined the youth to teach them about the culture and history of their families and neighborhoods. The adults shared songs, stories, and myths of their childhood. The music created by the children was strongly influenced by the songs and stories related by the elders.

A second Making Music residency was launched on Valentine’s Day, placing composers Robert Fernandez and Penny Pan in residence with the Chinatown Service Center.

Making Music is funded in part by a grant from the Cultural Affairs Department, City of Los Angeles.

NEW ROUND OF SUBITO GRANTS LAUNCHED, PROGRAM NOW STATEWIDE

(APRIL 2003) On January 6, the Los Angeles Chapter launched another round of Subito career advancement grants. (The program is now available throughout California, with the Los Angeles Chapter administering it in Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter running the program in the northern part of the state.) By June 30 (the end of the fiscal year), the chapter will award as much as $25,000 to artists in Southern California, with an additional $25,000 available during each of the following two years. (The same level of funding is offered in Northern California.)

At press time, the Los Angeles Chapter had received 22 proposals and had awarded four grants for a total of $4,775. Awards were made to Adam Rudolph, artistic director of GO: Organic Orchestra, to support the ensemble’s spring concerts with saxophonist Yusef Lateef; Mary Lou Newmark for the premiere of her "Canto de Luz: Concerto for Electric Violin and Orchestra" by the Montpelier (Vt.) Chamber Orchestra; John Steinmetz for the premiere of his Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra, by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Keene Chamber Orchestra, and the Santa Rosa Symphony; and Ron George for workshops on microtonal music in association with the Microfest Festival of Microtonal Music.

In California, Subito is funded by The James Irvine Foundation.

SUBITO SUPPORTED WORKS RECIEVES OVATION AWARDS & NOMINATIONS

(FEBRUARY 2003) Los Angeles composer Penka Kouneva’s music theater work "Steel: John Henry and the Shaker" won two Ovation Awards from the L.A. Drama Critics: the awards for best lead actor in a musical (Michael A. Shepperd) and best lighting design (Jerry Browning). A recording of the work was funded through the chapter’s Subito career-opportunity grant program. The production also received Ovation nominations for best world-premiere musical (Leon Martell and Penka Kouneva), best musical produced in a small theater (Oasis at the John Anson Ford Theater), best choreographer (Ameenah Kaplan), best musical direction (David O), and best sound design in a small theater (Penka Kouneva).

CHAPTER COSPONSORS RECEPTION FOR SYNERGY: COMPOSER AND CONDUCTOR WORKSHOP

(FEBRUARY 2003) The chapter, thanks to a private contribution from Peggi Chute, cosponsored the opening reception for Synergy: Composer and Conductor, a weeklong workshop for eight emerging composers and conductors. The workshop — sponsored by Los Angeles Philharmonic, the American Symphony Orchestra League, the American Music Center, and the USC Flora L. Thornton School of Music — brought four emerging composers together with four emerging conductors. Each of the four conductors rehearsed and performed an existing work by one of the composers with an orchestra comprised of musicians from the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the USC Thornton Symphony.

One of the composers, Forum member Naomi Sekiya had two movements of her "Sinfonia della Ombre" performed. In her program notes, Sekiya thanked the chapter’s Subito program, which funded the copying of her scores for the workshop and performance.

TEXALON FEATURES ZVONAR, CONIGLIO AND STOPPIELLO

(FEBRUARY 2003) On October 15, the chapter hosted the second teXalon (as in "tech salon"), at TuttoMedia recording studio. Forum member Richard Zvonar curated this evening of technology and art, which included interactive-media performances by composer-software designer Mark Coniglio, and dancer-choreographer Dawn Stoppiello.

OJAI FESITIVAL HELPS CHAPTER RAISE VISIBILITY

(SEPTEMBER 2002) From May 29 through June 2, the chapter hosted a booth at the Ojai (Calif.) Music Festival. The chapter’s presence at this legendary festival of new music provided it with an opportunity to engage audiences and music enthusiasts from across the nation increasing awareness of chapter programming. In addition to the information table — staffed by Chapter Director Heidi Lesemann, Chapter Assistant Karl Montevirgen, and members Pamela Madsen, Jerry Grant, Linda Holland, Susan Rawcliffe, Steve Butler, Brian Leader, Sylvi Brown, and Peggi Chute — the chapter set up two listening booths, providing visitors with a chance to listen to CDs of local composers and releases on the Forum’s Innova Recordings label. Over the course of the festival, more than 100 people signed up to receive information on chapter programs.

CHAPTER CONTINUES TO PILOT COMPOSERS SUITCASE

(SEPTEMBER 2002) The chapter has received continued support for Composers Suitcase from the California State Arts Council, a state agency. The funding will allow the Forum to continue a pilot of its innovative elementary music curriculum in the Whittier City School System, including expanded curriculum for second grade and the launch of the program in third grade classes.

CHAPTER PRESENTS DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS

(MAY 2002) On February 24 the chapter held its first Distinguished Service Awards, honoring members whose extraordinary work has supported both the chapter and the Greater Los Angeles Area community. Alex Shapiro – chair of the chapter’s advisory board, moderator of its Composer Salons, and founding chair of its sacred music committee – was honored for her initiative and strong leadership as liaison between the chapter and the area’s composer community. Kubilay Üner received and award for his visionary excellence and passionate dedication in creating, organizing, presenting, and maintaining the Composer Salons. Richard Zvonar received an award for his leadership in all areas of creative technology, including the chapter’s Web site, the L.A. Juke Box Internet radio station, the recording of members involved in the "Trimpin Project," and development of professional programs and symposia.

ACF-LA WELCOMES NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS

(MAY 2002) One of four incorporated Forum chapters, the Los Angeles Chapter welcomes its newly elected board of directors. The board consists of Raphael Cung, cellist, and Forum national board member; Peter Golub, composer and director of the Composers Lab at the Sundance Institute; Terry Knowles, executive director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale; William Kraft, the first composer-in-residence at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and a founder of the New Music Group (now Green Umbrella); Anne LeBaron, Continental Harmony composer and CalArts teacher; Patrice Rushen, composer and pianist; Alex Shapiro, composer, chair of the chapter’s advisory board, and host of the chapter’s Composers Salons; and Leonard Stein, pianist, conductor, writer, impresario, and director emeritus of the Arnold Schoenberg Institute at the University of Southern California.

 

COMPOSERS TAUGHT TO BE THEIR OWN PUBLICISTS

(MAY 2002) On May 11, the chapter presented a special workshop for composers who need publicity know-how or want to freshen up their publicity campaigns, . From PR materials, including listings, press releases, bios, fact sheets, and mailing lists, to attracting media attention, to working with PR firms and agencies, panelists helped members through the labyrinth of public relations for yourself.

Panelists included Daniel Cariaga, LA Times; Mary Beth Crain, LA Weekly; Rene Engel, KLON; Alan Rich, LA Weekly; Yatrika Shah-Rais, KPFK; and professional publicists Sylvi Brown, SC Brown; Rachelle Roe, LA Philharmonic; and Beverly Magid, Gutmann Associates.

LA CHAPTER PRESENTS COMPOSERS SALON

(MAY 2002) On April 21, ACF members and friends gathered to attend the chapter's fifth Composers Salon at Rocco’s, a Hollywood jazz hotspot. The program included work by Don Preston, Mary Lou Newmark, Ed Nunnery and others, and was moderated by Alex Shapiro. The sereis allows musicians and audience members to share a highly experimental and adventuresome program of new music.

 

(APRIL 2002) On Feb. 24, a standing-room-only crowd greeted the works of local composers Vinny Golia, Ellen Burr, William Leavitt, and Ariel Quintana. The event, the chapter’s fourth Composers Salon, took place at Rocco’s, a Hollywood jazz hotspot, and allowed musicians and audience members to share a highly experimental and adventuresome program of new music. These salons have earned a reputation as one of the few area venues where composers can test out new works in a supportive atmosphere of attentive, inquisitive listeners.

Hosted by composer Alex Shapiro and organized by the chapter’s salon committee (Shapiro, Burr, and John Cocker), the program highlighted the diversity and vitality of local composers. Golia brought out his Tubax, a tuba-saxophone hybrid, for an improvisational set. Burr and percussionist Jeanette Wrate improvised to graphically notated scores, which were also projected on a large screen for audience viewing. Leavitt was joined by Joseph Hammer for a performance of a work for cello and electronics, and Ariel presented a tape of a Mass he had composed for SATB choir and piano.

 

ACF-LA FEBRUARY MEETING and 2002 CHAPTER AWARDS

(MARCH 2002) ACF-LA presented its 2002 Chapter Awards on Saturday, February 24 at the Eagle Rock Community Cultural Center.

In attendance was Mark Waldrep, Ph.D., CEO and Founder, AIX Media Group, who has been involved in interactive multimedia development and audio production since the mid-1980s, demonstrated a variety of products and played examples of high-resolution recordings in 5.1 surround. This was a wonderful opportunity to talk to one of the real experts in the field.

Also presenting was recording engineer Scott Levitin. Levitin has a more than 20-year career as a recording engineer and producer for radio, film, television, and CDs. He has specialized in recording of classical and contemporary art music, from soloists to full orchestra. He is eager to become an active member in our community and to offer his expertise and services to ACF members

The meeting was followed by a pot-luck dinner in which the 2002 Chapter Awards were presented.

SUBITO!
A Speedy Success

(MARCH 2002) In its first year, the Los Angeles Chapter's Subito career advancement grant program has awarded 27 grants for a total of $48,262. These grants have funded a wide variety of projects, from creating a new instrument to recording master tapes to live performances within the community.

Funded by The James Irvine Foundation, the program is open to Los Angeles-area composers and musicians. The application process is simple, and the chapter coaches applicants through it. Once an application is made, most decisions are made within three weeks, allowing the program to meet spontaneous needs, encourage artistic risk-taking, and strengthen professional development.

Yes, we think Subito is pretty cool, but don’t take our word for it. Listen to the artists it has supported.

"Simply put, if it wasn’t for programs like Subito, a lot of new music would not bear a chance to be created." – Pierre Schroeder, electro-acoustic composer

"I am also wildly enthusiastic about Subito’s emphasis on connecting composers with communities. These grants are not just about developing professional careers; they are about making human connections and affecting community life." – John Steinmetz, performer and composer

"This program provided a degree of reason and flexibility often absent in the world of grant opportunities to individuals and organizations of limited administrative capacity." – Robin Cox, composer and performer of avant-garde jazz and chamber music

"I believe the Subito grant program of the American Composers Forum to be one of the most significant developments in arts funding to happen in a very long time." – Arthur Jarvenin, composer and performer

"Where is there a program that supports the purely entrepreneurial composer? Where is a program that will take my career and activities as a statement in themselves, worthy of grant support? Subito answers these questions, and thank God it’s here." – Steve Lockwood, composer and performer

"I think Subito is a highly effective support mechanism for the type of time-critical projects that composers regularly face; it’s the kind of grant program I myself would have designed." – Richard Zvonar, composer and performer of electro-acoustic music

For more information on Subito, visit www.composers.la or call the Los Angeles Chapter at (562) 464-6644.

COMPOSERS SELECTED FOR POSEIDON SCHOOL PROJECT

(JANUARY 2002) On Feb. 5, 2002, the chapter will launch its Community Partners collaboration with the Poseidon School for at-risk students. The program will consist of four 10-week sessions, during which students will study theater, dance, and music as part of the experimental, integrated, multi-disciplinary curriculum. Composers Fletcher Beasley, Robert Fernandez, Ron George, and James McAuley will each teach the music components for one of the four sessions. Poseidon teacher/theater artist Debbie Devine will teach the theater components for all four sessions, and choreographers are still being selected.

Beasley, who spent three years working as a volunteer music teacher at a camp for incarcerated teens, will be the composer for the first session. "At the camp, he was highly successful at establishing an environment where all forms of music were valid, and students were encouraged to find positive outlets for self-expression," says Chapter Director Heidi Lesemann. "His experience and approach will help set the standard for what we plan to accomplish at Poseidon."

MARCH OF THE MACHINES
Music Machines Capture Orange County Museum of Art

(DECEMBER 2001) The Los Angeles Chapter placed seven area composers in "You Are Hear: Music Machines at the Museum" – an exhibit including three installations by sound artist and MacArthur "Genius" award recipient Trimpin. The Eclectic Orange Festival and the Philharmonic Society sponsored the exhibit, which ran Oct. 6-26, 2001, at the Orange County Museum of Art.

The composers – Miriam Kolar, George Lewis, Shaun Naidoo, Daniel Rothman, Mark Trayle, Alba Triana, and Richard Zvonar – each wrote a two-minute composition for a collection of nine MIDI-controlled toy pianos that comprised Trimpin's installation "Klavier Nonette." The public selected works through a jukebox-like mechanism that required a quarter to play. (The composers shared the jukebox bounty at the exhibit's close.)

In conjunction with "You Are Hear: Music Machines at the Museum," the chapter sponsored "Composing with Music Machines," a panel discussion with Trimpin, Lewis, composer and Village Voice writer Kyle Gann, and composer Jim Tenney. The Oct. 20 event drew a near-capacity audience, sparking long discussions at the reception and dinner that followed.

CHAPTER PILOTS COMPOSERS SUITCASE™ IN WHITTIER PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Elements of the Composers Suitcase (shown top-left) include the Teachers Guide, books, musical instruments, map, letters, video and audio cassettes, and other imaginative objects.

(NOVEMBER 2001) The American Composers Forum with its Los Angeles Chapter has developed and is testing a groundbreaking new music curriculum called Composers Suitcase™ in second-grade classes at selected Whittier, Calif., public schools.

Packaged in an actual suitcase, the Composers Suitcase curriculum allows elementary classroom teachers to meet federal and state music education standards, with particular emphasis on music creation and improvisation. The materials are highly portable, and designed for easy replication and adaptation in a variety of settings. Composers Suitcase will be taught in two elementary schools, Phelan and Longfellow, each of which have three second-grade classes (six classes and teachers in total). Two of the three classrooms in each school will receive the Suitcase materials. A third classroom in each school will have a composer-in-residence instead of the Suitcase curriculum, which will provide a pedagogical control in the assessment of the Suitcase curriculum. Three second-grade classes at Sorensen Elementary School, where no music is formally taught in that grade, will be used as a control group for results comparison.

This pilot project is funded in part by the California Arts Council, a State Agency.

GATHER THE TROOPS
The Forum Holds Annual Meeting and Chapter Conference

(JULY 2001) From July 13-16, the Humanities Education Center in St. Paul played host to the Forum's yearly Chapter Conference. Chapter Directors and National Staff used the occasion to exchange programming ideas, address the challenges of the chapter system's rapid growth, and facilitate better communication between the 10 regional chapters and the national office.

On July 14, Forum members and members of the board of directors joined conference participants for the organization's Annual Meeting. Marking the new fiscal year, the gathering began with the final meeting of the Forum's 2001 board and concluded with the 2002 board's inaugural meeting. Plenty of time was also allowed for a celebration of the past year's successes, including presentations honoring those who made them possible.

SUBITO ANNOUNCES MORE RECIPIENTS

(JUNE 2001) "Subito," the chapter's quick grants pilot program for LA composers announces more recipients: composer Robin Cox and the Robin Cox Ensemble for commissions, rehearsals and recording fees; composer Pierre Schroeder for the purchase of a sampler to realize his recording project; and composer Daniel Rothman to realize his "teleclarinet" invention to further his composing activity. "Subito" grants have no deadlines, support risk-taking and career advancement and promise a quick turnaround time. Grants range from $500 to $2,500.

CHAPTER CELEBRATES FIRST ANNIVERSARY!

(MAY 2001) The chapter celebrated its first birthday on May 27 at The Equator Cybercafe in Pasadena. The event also marked the public launch of the chapter's new Web site, www.composers.la. Forum Senior Program Director Philip Blackburn flew in to meet chapter members and discuss national programs. The Robin Cox Ensemble and Double Naught Spy Car provided live music, and computer stations allowed guests to explore the new site.

MARCH A MONTH OF "FIRSTS" FOR YOUNG CHAPTER

(MARCH 2001) The chapter saw its first residency – Los Angeles composer Joan Huang's residency with middle and high school students at The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks – culminate in two March 16 concerts of student works written over the eight-week residency. Huang led the student ensemble, all instrumentalists, through performances at school assemblies, one for grades K-5 and another for grades 6-12, part of the school's Festival of the Arts. The children performed to great applause, whistles, and stomping from their classmates. The residency also included a series of teaching units about 20th-century composers and compositional techniques.

(MARCH 2001) The Chapter awarded its first Subito career advancement grant to composer Nabil Azzam. The grant allowed Azzam and composer Kareem Roustom to compose and arrange new and traditional works drawn from the Middle EastÕs varied musical traditions. The works were prepared for MESTO, Multi-Ethnic Star Orchestra, the professional orchestra founded by Azzam to present the music of world cultures in a symphonic concert setting. Works combining, for example, Sephardic Jewish poetry and Middle Eastern sensibilities with a Palestinian soloist demonstrate that music can establish a dialog where none was previously possible. The packed March 11 concert at West Los Angeles College was attended by leaders of Los Angeles' Middle Eastern communities. The compositions and arrangements will be used in future concerts of the ensemble.

(MARCH 2001) The first Composer Salon took place March 18 with an overflow crowd at the Electric Lodge in Venice. Organized by the chapter's salon committee, the event featured six Los Angeles composers: Tom Flaherty, Barry Schraeder, Brad Dutz, Paul Lacques, Dave Javelosa, and Enzo Fina. Performances ranged from Lacques's jazzy Double Nought Spy Car and Fina's improvisational work on a modified mbira (African thumb piano) to Flaherty's Semi-Suite for solo cello. Composer Alex Shapiro led a lively discussion following each performance, though the evening's most frequently asked question was, "When's the next one?"

LOS ANGELES CHAPTER LAUNCHES SUBITO
Quick (Like Subito!) Advancement Grants For Makers Of New Music

(MARCH 2001) Los Angeles composers and performers, this one's for you!

Beginning March 1, you can apply for Subito career advancement grants – anywhere from $500 to $2,500 – from the Los Angeles Chapter. You tell us how you want to use it, and within three weeks you get an answer. If approved, the money will soon be in your hands. There are no deadlines, and no fussy application forms. It's a streamlined approach to grant-giving, and it helps you when you need it. Make your request in writing or in person. ACF members living in the greater-Los Angeles area are eligible.

This is what you need to tell us:

1) What you need the money for, and how much do you need. (Be specific: copying costs for an upcoming concert, extra musicians, extra rehearsal time, transportation, demo tape, master recording, an arranger, etc.)

2) What your goal is.

3) How you will determine the project's effectiveness. (You'll have to evaluate the project after it's finished.)

4) Then tell any ways in which your proposal would:
be a significant boost to your artistry o help you gain wider recognition in a community.
make an original contribution to the art form o represent a professional step forward.

5) If these funds fit into an overall project budget, show us the budget.

6) Give us some examples of your work.

7) Send it to:
American Composers Forum, Los Angeles Chapter
Subito
P.O. Box 970
Whittier, CA 90608-0970

OR

Schedule an appointment to discuss it with us. Phone: (562) 464-6644 E-mail: acf@composers.la
For further information check our Web site: www.composers.la.

DECEMBER 2000/JANUARY 2001

LOS ANGELES CHAPTER ANNOUNCES NEW ASSISTANT & ADVISORY COUNCIL

(DECEMBER 2000/JANUARY 2001) In January, composer Karl Montevirgen became the Los Angeles Chapter's new chapter assistant. He comes to the Forum with an MFA in composition and critical studies/writing from the California Institute of the Arts. In addition to his work with the chapter, Montevirgen teaches at the Brighton Community Day School in Burbank. His experience and abilities make him uniquely suited to the job, and his involvement in contemporary music will add a new dimension to the chapter's administration.

The Los Angeles Chapter also appointed its first advisory council. Drawn from the diverse community of local composers, the members are Miriam Gerberg, William Kraft, Daniel Rothman, Alex Shapiro, Wadada Leo Smith, and Kubilay Uner. The committee devoted its inaugural meeting, on Sunday, Dec. 17, to discussing survival in the cultural environment of Los Angeles. The committee will guide chapter programming, assuring that composer needs are met.

CHAPTER HOSTS TEITELBAUM FORUM

(OCTOBER 2000) On Oct. 19, the chapter and the Orange County Philharmonic Society sponsored an intimate concert-forum with Richard Teitelbaum. Back in the pre-MIDI days, Teitelbaum pioneered methods for electronically coordinating keyboards, and he continues to do so in his current work with MAX (a piece of software that allows very flexible manipulation of MIDI data) and Disklaviers (MIDI-controlled pianos). Using large-screen projection, Teitelbaum demonstrated a MAX patch, which is rich in possibilities for improvisation and composition because of its flexible manipulation of the performer's input. This patch was optimized for interactions between two Disklaviers (provided by Yamaha for the evening's concert) and a synthesizer – all of which responded in various ways to the performer's actions. Internationally-known pianists Ursula Oppens and Aki Takahashi graciously performed portions of their pieces during the afternoon presentation and, with Teitelbaum, answered lots of questions from the audience.