15 Albums

I was recently tagged by a friend in a facebook note to list 15 albums that changed my life. I usually don't do chain emails of the sort, but that sounded like a cool one. So I'm reposting it here. 15 albums that have changed my life, in no particular order:

1. Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come

2. Radiohead - Kid A

3. Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity

4. NOFX - Punk in Drublic

5. Miles Davis - Bitches Brew

6. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning

7. Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians

8. Cadence Weapon - Breaking Kayfabe

9. Aphex Twin - Richard D. James Album

10. Strung Out - Twisted by Design

11. AFI - Black Sails in the Sunset

12. Olivier Messiaen - Quartet for the End of Time

13. John Zorn - Electric Masada

14. Lagwagon - Trashed

15. Mars Volta - De-loused in the Comatorium

There should be a few more honorable mentions, but a lot of times it's a group of albums by a band, or a set of bands with no particular albums as number one, that changes the way I look at things, at least about music. In Rainbows (and Hail to the Thief, and OK Computer) should be next to Kid A, but Kid A was my first exposure to Radiohead. There should be something about post rock in there, which has had a huge effect on me, but tends to do so with songs. So hell yeah to Godspeed's "Storm" on Lift Your Skinny Fists, and a bunch of stuff by Mogwai, Tortoise, Sigur Ros, and more. And to David Bowie. Hunky Dory would be next on the list.

End of the Year

It has (yet again) been a while since I've updated, mostly because I've been very busy. There's lots of good news to share though.

Densities, for piano, is finished, for the time being. It was given a premiere by William Fried a few weeks ago, in a well attended concert. The crowd seemed to like it, so that was very exciting.

At the same concert Kimberley Turney gave the premiere of An Everchanging House, which I wrote almost two years ago. It got a great recording by Harvey Sollberger, but was never actually performed until now, and a few people there really dug that one too. Harvey's recording is on my myspace page.

The UCSD guitar ensemble gave a second (and final) performance to Under a Neon Sky. This won me the Stewart Prize from the music department, for the most outstanding creative work of the year. 

A week after that was my senior guitar recital, which was small and informal, with just a few friends, but I did perform Steve Reich's "Electric Counterpoint" with the ensemble, and that was sweet.

Yet another week later came the second performance of the Reich, on the ensemble's year end concert. This completely sold out, and marks my first sold out show. This is very exciting.

I'm in Newbury Park right now, and am driving up to Ojai each day until Sunday for the Ojai Music Festival. It's great so far, but I'll give a full update once it's over.

Concerts, new piece in the works

If you're in the San Diego area, I've got a few shows coming up, with various groups. Here are the dates and locations:

March 13, 6 pm: UCSD Guitar Ensemble performs my piece "Under a Neon Sky" at Erickson Hall, UCSD

April 17, 12 pm: Honest Iago is playing in a battle of the bands in Price Center to open on the mainstage for the Sun God festival.

May 7, 8 pm: My pieces Under a Neon Sky, 88, and the new one called Densities will be performed at Mandeville Recital Hall

May 17, 8 pm: I'll be the soloist in a performance of Steve Reich's epic Electric Counterpoint, Erickson Hall

May 31, 8 pm: Another performance of Electric Counterpoint

Hope to see you at one of them!