the world and everything in it -- Matt Johnson

Working With Composers

Check out this video of my performance in Matt Johnson's "the world and everything in it".

For the last month, I have been working with one of the senior composition majors here at Henderson. Matt Johnson, is a great, young composer. I must say, it was a wonderful experience. If you ever have to work with a composer or premier a piece, go for it! It’s exciting to be the one to first put something on the stage. It also gives one the opportunity to learn new things. For example, I have never performed on clarinet with a microphone. On a side note, I also learned a great lesson that you should never try to blow out the spit from a key in front of a boom mic. (Sorry, for the noise you hear in the video.) 

I was a little nervous, initially to work with a composer, even if he is just another student. When Matt approached me about working on a piece for his senior recital, I agreed, but I had reservations about it. What if the piece was too hard or in a weird meter? What if I can’t get the type of sound he wants, and he just “fires” me? I had heard horror stories from my applied professor about composers that were overly instructive and every measure of music had a phrase or dynamic marking. I was also wondering what I would do with instructions of weird analogies. It seems like that is a big thing in the music department. I have received instructions such as, “It’s like sticking your big toe in a warm bath of chocolate.” I have also heard, “It’s supposed to sound like Easter in Communist Russia.” Seriously, I can’t make this stuff up!

Thankfully, working with Matt was fantastic. He was actually performing in the group on electric guitar. The group I performed in consisted of electric guitar, electric bass, synthesizer, piano, flute, and clarinet. His compositions are very contemporary but also minimalistic. He has a great sense of mixing old and new concepts like electronic sounds and standard instruments. His senior recital also featured an entire piece of improvisatory gong playing. He's also one of the only people I know who can pull off green Converse on stage. Matt, as well as being a talented composer, also plays in several bands like Ben Franks and the Bible Belt Boys and Fitra. Check them out! I wish him the best of luck on his compositions and with his bands. If you ever have the opportunity to work with student composers, do it! You never know what you will gain from it; even if it is just payment in the form of a 5-Hour Energy.

Happy Reading!