Newsletters

eNews: InterNetzo – January 2021

Message from Seth Brenzel, Executive Director

Dear Walden friend,

I hope this finds you well and enjoying the start of the new year. We are now accepting applications for the Young Musicians Program (YMP) and Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR), and our Early Application Deadline is February 5.

Walden Winter Wednesdays (WWW) are here, a series of casual community gatherings over Zoom, so check the Community Events section to find out more. You'll also find the next installment in the Walden Online Workshop (WOW) series, coming up on February 7 and February 16.

Be sure to check out the In the Spotlight section to hear some wonderful stories from Walden alumna Mariana Szklo. You can also check the Community News section to read about some of the happenings in the lives and careers of fellow Walden community members.

I hope you enjoy this January edition of InterNetzo, and I look forward to seeing you for a WWW, a WOW, or another gathering soon.

Sincerely,
Seth

Community Events

Walden Winter Wednesdays

Our first WWW was on January 27, for the 1970s/1980s:

Bring your favorite winter beverage or snack and wear your favorite cozy scarf. (For those of you in warm climates, creative workarounds for cozy scarfs are welcome.)

To attend, register through Eventbrite and we will send you Zoom details before the gathering. Feel free to send any questions to alumni@waldenschool.org.

February 3 - 2000s - Register
If you were a Walden student, parent, faculty member, staff member, or visiting artist during the 2000s, this is for you!

February 10 - JCC - Register
If you were a student, faculty member, staff member, or visiting artist at the Junior Conservatory Camp, this is for you!

February 24 - 1990s - Register
If you were a Walden student, parent, faculty member, staff member, or visiting artist during the 1990s, this is for you!

March 3 - CMR, OCME, & TTI - Register
If you came to as an adult, as a participant, faculty member, staff, member, or visiting artist at CMR, OCME, and/or TTI, this is for you!

March 10 - 2010s (YMP & OYME) - Register
If you were a YMP student, parent, faculty member, staff member, or visiting artist during the 2010s, or part of OYME in 2020, this is for you!

Learn More

WOW! Walden Online Workshops!

Implementing Creative Delight
Sunday, February 7, 2021
4 pm Eastern
Led by Lisa Bielawa

Fulfilling our role as creators and artists in our communities during challenging lockdown and social distancing conditions can be daunting. How might we or must we turn our own process on its head in order to fulfill this role? How can we spark the vitality we need to make new work that engages community and participation without access to each other in real space and time?

In this workshop Lisa will share some strategies she has used to protect the element of Delight - which leads to creative inspiration - from our current limitations and challenges, after which we will play some creativity games together to send everyone off into a newly energized creative practice.

Register

About Lisa Bielawa
Composer, producer, and vocalist Lisa Bielawa (b. 1968) is a Rome Prize winner in Musical Composition. She takes inspiration for her work from literary sources and close artistic collaborations.  Her music has been described as "ruminative, pointillistic and harmonically slightly tart," by The New York Times. She is the recipient of the 2017 Music Award from the American Academy of Arts & Letters and a 2020 Discovery Grant from OPERA America's Opera Grants for Female Composers. She was also Composer-in-Residence for the 2020 Online Creative Musicians Experience.

Text Score Teatime
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
7:30 pm Eastern
Led by Kittie Cooper

In this workshop, we will explore the creative potential in using text to notate music. We will make sounds and words together, and discover means of integrating text scores into your own creative practice and interests. Whether you are an experienced composer/writer/artist, or whether you haven't done any writing since elementary-school book reports, this workshop is for you! (no experience with music or writing required). Bring a mug of tea or hot chocolate, and come enjoy a peaceful evening (or afternoon, or morning) of sounds, words, and the company of others.

About Kittie Cooper
Kittie Cooper is a composer, performer, and educator based in Charlottesville, Virginia. She makes art that incorporates feminism and explores the spectrum between silliness and seriousness. Her work has been called "highly original and wonderfully fun". She is interested in text and graphic scores, improvisation, and DIY electronic instruments. She also performs as a guitarist, electronic musician, and improviser. Kittie currently serves as Director of Composers Forums and Teaching Faculty for The Walden School Young Musicians Program.

Stay tuned for details, and visit waldenschool.org/wow to learn about more exciting workshops.

In the Spotlight

Mariana Szklo

Mariana Szklo, PhD, MHS, is Associate Professor of Community and Environmental Health at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, and serves as associate editor of the journals American Journal of Epidemiology and SLEEP. Her expertise is in applied sleep. Mariana was a student at Walden for seven summers, beginning in 1978.

How and when did you relationship with Walden begin?

Lynn Hebden, with Leo Wanenchak and Pat Plude, were my musicianship teachers at Peabody during the year, and recommended to my mother that I go to Walden. She told me I was going to Walden without a lot of advance notice. I had just finished third grade, and I asked, "What am I going to read on the trip?" the day I was traveling. She gave me a copy of Hamlet, and off I went on the bus. Looking back, six weeks in the summer after third grade was a long time.

It was a very memorable bus ride (starting in Baltimore with stops along the eastern seaboard). I met Jessie Urbaitis, who is only six months older, and became a lifelong close friend, and many others like Lance Reddick, who was a student a few years older, and John Yankee, who became my teacher and another lifelong friend. That was the beginning of my Walden experience, and I loved it so that I kept going back.

What was your experience at Walden like after that?

I was at Walden for seven summers, 1978-84, from the ages of 9 to 15, which is a long stretch, and very formative. During the year I studied at the Peabody Preparatory in Baltimore. Jeff Cohen was my piano teacher, and he also was affiliated with Walden. Walden was at the Mountain School in Vermont then, maybe '78- '82, and it was a very beautiful setting, very open and free form.

Because I was very young, I had a private orchestration class with David Hogan (Hoagie), and we would sit on the rock outside the dining hall. He also taught a score reading class my second summer, and it was challenging and very exciting. The demands were high, yet it was seamless. We never felt we couldn't do it-everything was possible--and we never felt pressured, it was just interesting, and we learned. Hoagie was an inspiring teacher, and I have very clear memories of those classes.

There were many people I studied with over the years, both privately and in classes, and so many classes that were formative. David Drucker taught a 20th century music class, and I had saved the syllabus, which I sent to him recently. I studied with Ann Callaway as a composition teacher when I was around 12, and she was instrumental. I also studied composition and analysis with John Yankee many summers.

I arrived at Walden in 1978 really liking poetry, and John wrote Songs of Nonsense, with one song his setting of a little poem I'd written about a pen. I was learning about that interplay between poetry and music from the starting point of poetry. That connection with words and language was powerful for me, and I have a lifelong interest in poetry and words. I draw from Walden in many ways, I always have, but now I consciously draw on those experiences and consider how to bring them into what I do.

What stands out to you from that time?

The freedom that we had, how we could pursue anything we wanted. There were no boundaries, intellectually. I was a child, but there wasn't any condescension, there was equality. I felt heard. It was musically exciting, and people also spoke of literature and poetry and science. I recall older students like Becca Hammann and Laura Giles reading nightly to us younger students (often from The Chronicles of Narnia), Tom Johnson's chamber music sessions, Hoagie's bell waking us every morning, and hiking, including Mt. Washington one summer.

There were many spontaneous evening musical events. Dede Ondishko, who was around 20 then, had been at conservatory, and she arrived one evening as a guest, and gave a talk on the Webern Piano Variations Op.28 in the library, and I recall her writing on the board in the library and explaining 12-tone music, and it was all quite exciting. I was 11, it was late at night, past my usual bedtime, and there was this sense of freedom--it was just about learning, and how exciting learning can be. There was no other agenda. I hope I have carried that with me. I think that's still central in my life, that curiosity and immersion and love of learning, just as it is, without knowing where it may take you.

There was a sense of whimsy and also playfulness at Walden I've tried to carry with me. We developed that as students, and the faculty nurtured it. We had a sense of real immersion and engagement. We would all look at the stars at night, talking and singing. There is a silo on the campus of the Mountain School, and the whole camp sang Sanctus in the silo. I look back on those years really fondly, and to this day, some of my best dreams are of those early years.

How are music and/or creativity part of your life now?

I think that sense of the exploration being as important as where you arrive. Uncertain space can be very creative space. I'm always looking for interconnections among different mediums and ways of thinking. I'm in the process of planning a study of sleep in the Arctic. I'm collaborating with someone who has done a study of sleep in the Antarctic, as well as an oceanographer, and that spirit of collaboration was very much part of Walden. Studying things that are different and new relates to Walden, even though for me it's in a field outside music. I think Walden helped me develop a sense of fearlessness. You have to try new things, and study what you want to study, whether or not it's in vogue.

Music is with me all the time. I'm always listening to music and going to concerts and thinking about music. I'm married to Steve Coxe, who was also at Walden and is a composer. Our daughter Alice is 15, and she also loves music. She is a percussionist and really likes the melodic percussion instruments.

Are there other things you carry from Walden?

I think Walden has given me an appreciation for listening to people and not getting in the way of what they're endeavoring to do. You provide them with information that might be able to assist them, but you don't push them toward any particular thing. You never know what interrelationships will form or what they will mean. Everything is open, and unknown, and it's an adventure, and that's a spirit I found at Walden in those early years. It was just about being and learning, without constraints. I try to recreate that kind of environment for the students I teach and in research. I don't always do it consciously, but these memories from Walden are part of me, and I want to recreate the endless possibility of that time.

You'd awaken and go to sleep with the sense of promise and beauty of each day at Walden, and the spirit of community. Once you experience this, it's hard not to have in other settings, because you know what's possible. It was very magical. I use that term sparingly, but it really was.

2021 Summer Programs

Applications open for summer 2021

Walden is earnestly and actively planning for a return to in-person programming in Dublin, New Hampshire, in 2021, with the understanding that pandemic circumstances may require our programs instead be offered again online next summer. Whether in-person or online, Walden is excited to offer our students, participants, and audiences another summer of transformative, creative music programs and presentations. We hope that you will join us!

Our 2021 dates* are:

Young Musicians Program (YMP): June 26-August 1 (for musicians ages 9-18; 3-week option for students up through 7th grade June 26-July 18, 2021)

Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR): June 12-20 (for adult musicians, 18+, not otherwise eligible to be students at YMP)

We are accepting applications, and the Early Application Deadline is Friday, February 5.

To request an application, go to waldenschool.org/apply.

Early deadline: February 5
Regular deadline: March 15
Final deadline: May 1

Need-based financial aid in the form of tuition assistance is available. Please let us know if you have any questions or would like any additional information about Summer 2021 by writing to us at applicants@waldenschool.org.

*Dates for online programs, if necessary, will be similar to those for the in-person programming. 

Community News

Alan Chan Jazz Orchestra presents Camel Walk 

The Alan Chan Jazz Orchestra, along with suona performer Guo Yazhi, presented the Camel Walk Project as part of the Jazz Education Network Annual Conference, which took place online January 6-9. The Alan Chan Jazz Orchestra is a Los Angeles-based big band that Alan started in 2011. Alan is a Walden alumnus and past faculty member. You can find video of the Camel Walk project here, from performances in 2016 and 2019.

Alex Christie offers virtual workshops

Walden alumnus and faculty member Alex Christie is offering a series of hands-on virtual workshops on synthesizers. Alex's Synths for Beginners workshops are presented through the Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative, and require no prior experience. There were three sessions for adults in January, and sessions for youth ages 10-18 coming up in February and March. Alex is a composer, technologist, and instrument-builder based in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Astronautica premiere features Renée Favand-See  

Astronautica - Voices of Women in Space is a newly commissioned work of music, voice, and video by women composers, with a libretto drawn from the words of the women who have traveled in outer space. Astronautica premiered on January 27, and features two pieces by Renée Favand-See, Walden alumna and faculty member. Astronautica is the first event in Voices of The New, Voices of Ascension's new commissioning program. Astronautica was commissioned by Trio Triumphatrix: mezzo-soprano Hai-Ting Chinn, soprano Lindsay Kesselman, and contralto Kirsten Sollek.

Lukáš Janata commissioned by SF Symphony

The San Francisco Symphony has announced the upcoming season of programs presented online. A SoundBox program on July 8 will be curated by Nico Muhly, features choreographer and dancer Emma Lanier, and includes performances of Inti Figgis-Vizueta's Inbhir; Muhly's Motion, and his arrangements of Orlando Gibbons's "See, See the Word is Incarnate" and Meredith Monk's Fat Stream, and the world premiere of a new work commissioned from Lukáš Janata. Lukáš is a CMR alumnus.

Laura Jobin-Acosta IDEA Opera Residency

Laura Jobin-Acosta in one of three Resident Artists selected for the first-ever IDEA Opera Residencies, a new initiative by OPERA America. IDEA Opera Residencies (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) provides New York City-based composers and librettists of color an opportunity to explore opera as an expressive medium. Laura is an alumna of the Creative Musicians Retreat. The other two inaugural Resident Artists are librettist J. Mae Barizo and composer Tamar-kali Brown.

Josie Kovash welcomes a new baby

Josie Kovash has welcomed a daughter, Hunter Moon Pierre Edwards, born on Mother's Day 2020. Josie was a student at the Young Musicians Program for three summers, 1996-98, and was on staff at the Young Musicians Program in 2013. Congratulations, Josie!

Joel St. Julien featured on modular synth event 

On January 24, Colorado Modular Synth Society presented January Skies, a modular synth space music event. Featured on the event was Fool's Paradise by CMR alumnus Joel St. Julien. Joel is a San Francisco-based composer, musician, songwriter and sound artist. The Colorado Modular Synth Society's mission is to connect people with information, inspiration, and a community of peers fascinated with modular synthesizers. You can watch a recording of January Skies here.

Anjna Swaminathan Roulette premieres

Anjna Swaminathan was awarded a 2020 Van Lier Fellowship from Roulette Intermedium to produce two evening-length multidisciplinary concerts. The first, Rivers Above, Floods Below, premiered on November 16, and the second, |borders/lines|, will premiere via livestream on March 25, 2021. Anjna is a queer multidisciplinary composer, musician, and theatre artist, and was a visiting artist at the Young Musicians Program in 2018.

Freya Waley-Cohen featured on launch of SF Symphony+

The San Francisco Symphony, under Music Director Esa Pekka-Salonen, is launching a new online streaming service, SFSymphony+. SFSymphony+ will launch with a chamber music program, Nostalgia, as part of the SoundBox series. Nostalgia features works by three women composers--Freya Waley-Cohen, Missy Mazzoli, and Caroline Shaw--and will be performed on February 4. Freya is an alumna of the Young Musicians Program.

We want to hear from you!

What's been going on? If you have a recent or upcoming premiere, publication, award, new job or program, or a celebratory life event, please share the news. Email your news to alumni@waldenschool.org.

Stay in Touch
You can like The Walden School page on Facebook and join The Walden School private group to hear about events and opportunities throughout the year, including upcoming regional alumni Composers Forums and Holiday Parties. You can also find us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, bandcamp, and at waldenschool.org.

Read more

by Noah Mlotek

eNews: InterNetzo – December 2020

Message from Seth Brenzel, Executive Director

Dear Walden friend,

I hope this finds you well and enjoying the holiday season. In this December edition of InterNetzo, be sure to read our "In the Spotlight" section to hear some inspiring reflections from Walden alumna and faculty member Renée Favand-See. You can also check the Community News section to read about some of the happenings in the lives and careers of fellow Walden community members. And be sure to check out information on the next installment in the Walden Online Workshop (WOW) series, coming up on January 13.

As we reach the end of 2020, I am filled with gratitude for the Walden community. Thank you for your participation, support, and enthusiasm through this unprecedented year. We have so much to look forward to in the year ahead. From all of us here at Walden, best wishes for a healthy, hopeful, and peaceful New Year!

Sincerely,
Seth

In the Spotlight

Renée Favand-See

Renée Favand-See a composer and soprano who lives in Portland, Oregon. Her works explore the music of words, of natural and made environments, of emotions and spiritual questions. These investigations yield vocal music of all stripes, Musique Concrète-esque electronic pieces, lyrically driven instrumental music, and counterpoint or the relationships that unfold in the spaces between voices. She is also a Walden alumna and faculty member.

How and when did you relationship with Walden begin, and what has been your involvement since then?

I started going to Walden in 1985, and I heard about Walden from Rosie Hollander, a friend from middle school. So thanks, Rosie! We both loved music--she played the piano, and I sang in a children's choir in Maryland. She told me about the camp, and I went the next summer. I was there for five summers, starting when I was 12.

Since then, I taught on the Young Musicians Program (YMP) faculty for more than 10 summers. I started when I was a senior at Eastman School of Music. I really appreciated the spirit of apprenticeship in the Walden community; my mentors had been my teachers, and those relationships evolved as we became peers. That was a special experience, and very affirming for me as a young musician. I've been teaching at the Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR) since 2015 and have loved that as well. I think all teaching at Walden is connected by a foundation of gratitude. Teachers and students alike are so grateful to be in this incredibly nurturing, stimulating, and creative environment. I look forward to CMR every year, knowing I will feel how much the participants appreciate the experience, a nurturing environment which is unique in adulthood.

Could you describe a favorite memory from your time as a Walden student?

It is hard to pick! There is one memory I bring up often when I'm teaching text setting (how to set text to music). As a student, I wrote a song cycle called Bird Songs, and one of the songs had a text by Walt Whitman from Leaves of Grass. He's looking up at the sky and he sees a flock of geese, and the poem reads, "Ya-honk! And it sounds down to me like an invitation." I took the word Ya-honk, and I just went for it in my song, writing, "YA-HONK! YA-HONK! YA-HOOOOONK!" I got grilled in the Composers Forum, and was asked, "Did you have to be so obvious in your text-setting with the word Ya-honk?" It was a type of text-setting where the melody line kind of Mickey-Mouses, really doing what the text means.

That lesson stayed very much on my mind. I write a lot of songs these days, it's my favorite thing to do as a composer, and I always think about Ya-honk. For the longest time, I put any kind of text-setting thing in the piano, and just kept the voice steady. I was probably 16 when I wrote that piece, and maybe 15 years later, I realized my mistake wasn't setting ya-honk so dramatically--my mistake was choosing a poem with the word ya-honk in it! What else are you going to do? But that lively discussion has stuck in my mind, and I always tell my students the ya-honk story when we're discussing tasteful setting of a vocal line of text.

Another memory is from one of my first classes at Walden, which was a eurythmics class with Dede Ondishko. We sat in a circle and the first thing we did was say our names and notice the accent structure. That was when I realized that my name was totally iambic--Renée Louise Favand--and that has stuck with me. These seeds from when I was quite young have taken root and borne fruit in so many ways, all my life. It has been amazing. When I set a text now, the first thing I pay attention to is the natural rhythm of the words. The music of a poem is rhythm-based, so I'm always trying to listen to that. That first exercise where we got sensitized to the accent stress and the syllables of spoken word has been a part of me ever since.

Then of course the hiking and joy of the dances and the joy of singing...just being in your body. Music-making at Walden is embodied in a beautiful way that lives in me now.

Could you describe a favorite memory from your time on faculty?

I had this hotshot group of three girls in my musicianship class who were close friends, all around the same age and were very goofy and playful and sweet. We were doing a dominant-seventh pivot drill, and they were nailing it--they were doing all the resolutions, all the pivots, and it was amazing. It was so much fun to teach them because they were so hungry to learn and so facile with their musical language because of the wonderful grounding they had-they had all been studying Walden musicianship for a few years already. But the V4/3, the second inversion dominant seventh chord, made Danielle Oberdier laugh. Every time we got to singing V4/3, she would just break into giggles. It was a running joke, because we would try to get through the pivot drill and Danielle would start laughing in the middle every time.

Along with that, constantly witnessing students' excitement around learning and creativity. It's so inspiring--I learn so much from that and Walden is where I learned to teach. I really felt that beautiful exchange-I was teaching the students and they were teaching me all along the way how to be a better teacher.

I was also thinking about CMR, and we always do Pauline Oliveros' Rock Piece as an orientation activity. There was one year when we did Rock Piece and the silence after was this velvety, sacred silence. My ears were burst open with bird song and the breeze and the breath and the not-silence of it, and the feeling of connection in our little community that had only been together for a little while but somehow that piece connected us. The sensitive responses of the participants after, how moved everyone was, grew out of how we shared that moment.

Outside of Walden, how are music and creativity part of your life?

I'm a composer, largely of art songs and choral music, and I think Walden planted some beautiful seeds with all the singing we do. I'm also a teacher--I teach composition, theory, and orchestration at Portland State University. And also as a mother! I am realizing that mothering is a very creative activity, and all my training as a teacher is bearing fruit in this other context, which is really interesting. Improvisation is a core idea at Walden, making you flexible in the moment so you can adjust and shift with the direction things are going in. Listening is such a big part of teaching, and such a big part of mothering. Just being in the present moment for what might happen. The first year of mothering felt like a living meditation--"Pay attention. What is happening? Respond in the moment in the most authentic way you possibly can."--and that is the core of creativity as far as I'm concerned.

I also wrote a song at the beginning of quarantine for my friend Arwen, who is a vocalist. She asked 12 composers to write songs she could sing and play herself. It was such a tricky time with my son's napping, so I really had to leave the house to compose, but it was early enough in the pandemic that no one was really leaving their houses, and going to my studio felt totally taboo. I actually composed in my car using a water bottle drone. We had this water bottle that made a gorgeous gong-like drone, so I figured Arwen could tap the water bottle and sing. So I composed with a water bottle gong in the car while my son napped. I felt proud of my flexibility in that moment, finding a way through.

What is a non-musical hobby that's part of your life?

Hiking is probably my favorite. We try to go hiking all through the year, no matter the weather. It's a way to get the squirrels out of your head if you're feeling stressed or anxious, just get moving on the trail and breathe. For me, nature is a connector to the sacred. It brings you into the moment; "I'm here now, and this place is so captivating, I'm just here to enjoy it." My son Morgan, who is turning three, loves hiking. He keeps telling us, "I want to live where I can walk to the woods." That is a great dream to have. My first taste of hiking was at Walden, and it has been in my life ever since.

What is your hope or dream for Walden's future?

Just that Walden continues to thrive, bringing deep personal growth to people - participants, teachers, performers, listeners - across all socioeconomic and geographic boundaries, and continues to touch hearts through the sacred ritual of music. Walden is doing that. That's the amazing thing. It branches out more and more to places all over the world, and tries to offer students of all different backgrounds the opportunity to study there. It's a healing force in the world, and I just want it to keep sending ripples outward in all these branching, beautiful ways.

News and Goods

WOW! Walden Online Workshops!

In a Sound Place
Found Object Percussion
January 13, 2021, 7:30 pm Eastern

Discover the musical potential in the everyday objects all around us in this exploration of found object percussion. Using only materials collected from our environment, as well as our voices and bodies, we will discover new ways of making music together and new modes of listening. This workshop will trace a history of found object music through works by John Cage and Pauline Oliveros and will explore strategies for discovering, creating, and notating new sounds made with everyday objects. Learn to see the whole world as your instrument and be ready to make some noise(s) as we connect, create, and perform together!

Stay tuned for details, and write to wow@waldenschool.org for more information.

About Matthew Gold

Percussionist Matthew Gold is a performer, ensemble director, and educator who appears across the U.S. and internationally presenting concert programs with a focus on new and experimental music. He is a member of the New York-based new music group Talea Ensemble and the Talujon percussion group. Matthew is an Artist in Residence in Percussion and Contemporary Music Performance at Williams College where he directs the Williams Percussion Ensemble and New Music Williams, and is the Artistic Director of the annual I/O Festival of New Music. He is a frequent visiting artist at Walden, most recently at the Online Creative Musicians Experience in 2020.

Will you close 2020 with a gift to Walden?

The generosity of Walden's donors-an extraordinary community of approximately 400 individuals-makes possible all that we do, both in-person and online. We are so glad you are part of our Walden community. As we plan for the coming year, will you donate to Walden to help us get there? Your gift of any amount helps keep Walden thriving for generations of creative musicians to come.

You can make a gift online at waldenschool.org/donate, or mail a check payable to The Walden School to our administrative office at 30 Monterey Boulevard, Suite E, San Francisco, CA 94131.

On behalf of our entire Walden community, thank you for your support. We can hardly wait to gather in person (hopefully!) in New Hampshire next summer, and for many wonderful summers to come.

2021 Summer Programs

Walden is earnestly and actively planning for a return to in-person programming in Dublin, New Hampshire, in 2021, with the understanding that pandemic circumstances may require our programs instead be offered again online next summer. Whether in-person or online, Walden is excited to offer our students, participants, and audiences another summer of transformative, creative music programs and presentations. We hope that you will plan to join us!

Our 2021 dates* are:

Young Musicians Program (YMP): June 26-August 1 (for musicians ages 9-18; 3-week option for students up through 7th grade June 26-July 18, 2021)

Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR): June 12-20 (for adult musicians, 18+, not otherwise eligible to be students at YMP)

Application materials and information will be posted on our website in early January, with a first round application deadline of February 1, 2021. Subsequent deadlines will be March 15 and May 1. Need-based financial aid in the form of tuition assistance is available. Please let us know if you have any questions or would like any additional information about Summer 2021 by writing to us at applicants@waldenschool.org.

*Dates for online programs, if necessary, will be similar to those for the in-person programming. 

End-of-year AmazonSmile shopping?

Do you still have some end-of-year shopping to do? Are you using Amazon.com to help you get ready for 2021? Don't forget to use AmazonSmile! A portion of every sale will be donated to Walden.

Just go to smile.amazon.com and select "Walden School" (listed in San Francisco, CA) as your charity.

You'll know it's us, because you'll see this information:

Mission: The Walden School inspires artistic expression and personal growth through experiential music programs.
Programs: Young Musicians Program, Creative Musicians Retreat

Community News

Andrew Barnes Jamieson 

On December 25, YMP alumnus Andrew Barnes Jamieson performed a live online solo piano concert, highlighting the complexity that has always been part of the holidays through unique piano reinterpretations of well-known holiday music. Andrew's Christmas Day concert encouraged playful and meaningful celebration and reflection on this moment of our lives. Andrew's live polytonal mashup work involves at least two recognizable melodies in two different hands, with independent/clashing tonalities and rhythms. You can watch a recording of the performance here.

Nathan and Sylvia Davis welcome first child

Nathan and Sylvia Davis have welcomed their first child, Llewelyn Milo Davis, who was born in November. Nathan spent eight summers as a visiting artist at Walden, including two summers as a member of The Walden School Players. Congratulations to the Davis family!

Maya Engenheiro to attend NYU

YMP alumna Maya Engenheiro has been accepted to New York University, where she plans to pursue a Bachelor of Music through NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, majoring in Music Business. Maya will start at NYU in the fall of 2021.

Mary Fineman featured on Art Show

Mary Fineman was featured on an Online Multimedia Art Show, Peace and Peaceful Activism, presented by the Diablo-Alameda branch of the National League of American Pen Women (NLAPW). Since 1897, NLAPW has promoted and supported the creative efforts of women nationwide. Mary performed two of her pieces as part of the show. You can watch the show on YouTube here, and a Meet the Artist segment with Mary here. Mary attended the Junior Conservatory Camp, Walden's predecessor program.

Ofurhe Igbinedion completes PhD

Ofurhe Igbinedion has completed her PhD in Geography at the University of California, Davis. Her focus was critical race and feminist geography, and she worked on research assessing the health impacts of transportation plans in Sacramento County. Ofurhe completed her Bachelors in Geography and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago. She was a student at the Young Musicians Program for three summers. Congratulations, Ofurhe!

Digital premiere of Felix Jarrar short film

An operatic short film of Felix Jarrar and B. L. Foxley's Stardust premiered in early December. The film was produced by Modular Opera Project, an initiative of Helios Opera, and ran December 4-13. Felix, a CMR alumnus, composed the piece and served as collaborative pianist. Each screening was followed by discussion with the creative team, with topics ranging from BIPOC representation in the arts to artmaking in the era of COVID-19 to the creation of a multi-genre solo show.

New album from Ted Moore

Ted Moore's new album, bruit, was released on November 20. bruit is a portrait album of improvisations in conversation with collaborators Jenna Lyle, Ben Roidl-Ward, Yung-Tuan Ku, Emerson Hunton, Eric Krouse, Anna La Berge, and Tom Weeks. All tracks feature Ted improvising on electronics. Ted is a composer, improviser, intermedia artist, and educator based in Chicago. He is also a Walden alumnus, and has been on faculty since 2011. Anne LaBerge is a past visiting artist to Walden.

Amy Sham married

On October 8, Amy Sham married David Grant Smith in Cape May, New Jersey. Although a "DIY pandemic wedding" may not have been the original plan, Amy says the day was perfect. All our warmest wishes to Amy and David. Amy is an alumna of the Young Musicians Program.

January livestreaming concert with Kate Stenberg

On Sunday, January 31, 2020, violinist Kate Stenberg, cellist Mary Artmann, and pianist Ava Soifer will perform an online concert featuring works by Shostakovish, Dvorak, and Piazzolla. The concert will begin at 5 pm Pacific, presented by Music on the Hill. Music on the Hill has been presenting chamber music in San Francisco since 1998, and you can find concert details on their website. Kate is a past visiting artist at Walden.

Jonathan Thomas and Gail Nakano welcome a new baby

Jonathan Thomas and Gail Nakano welcome their new baby, Cassia Ruby Thomas, born at 3:01 pm on December 22, 2020. Jonathan was previously Walden's Development Manager, and is now the Senior Manager of Individual Giving at Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Jonathan and Gail continue to support and stay connected to Walden, and Jonathan volunteers with Walden. We send congratulations and warmest wishes to their growing family.

We want to hear from you!

What's been going on? If you have a recent or upcoming premiere, publication, award, new job or program, or a celebratory life event, please share the news. Email your news to alumni@waldenschool.org.

Stay in Touch
You can like The Walden School page on Facebook and join The Walden School private group to hear about events and opportunities throughout the year, including upcoming regional alumni Composers Forums and Holiday Parties. You can also find us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, bandcamp, and at waldenschool.org.

Read more

by Noah Mlotek

eNews: InterNetzo – November 2020

Message from Seth Brenzel, Executive Director

Dear friend,

I hope you will enjoy this November edition of InterNetzo. Be sure to read our "In the Spotlight" section to hear some wonderful stories from Matthew Gold, a frequent visiting artist at Walden. You can also learn about the next Walden Online Workshop (WOW) on December 2, led by Carrie Mallonee. You can also check the Community News section to read about some of happenings in the lives and careers of fellow Walden community members.

As we enter the holiday season, I am filled with gratitude for the Walden community. Thank you for your participation, support, and enthusiasm. I send you my very best wishes for a joyous and peaceful holiday season.

Sincerely,
Seth

In the Spotlight

Matthew Gold

Percussionist Matthew Gold is a performer, ensemble director, and educator who appears across the U.S. and internationally presenting concert programs with a focus on new and experimental music. He is a member of the New York-based new music group Talea Ensemble and the Talujon percussion group. Matthew is an Artist in Residence in Percussion and Contemporary Music Performance at Williams College where he directs the Williams Percussion Ensemble and New Music Williams, and is the Artistic Director of the annual I/O Festival of New Music.

How and when did you relationship with Walden begin?

I first became involved with Walden as part of the Young Musicians Program (YMP) in the summer of 2006, and it was completely last-minute. I had heard of the program from musicians I'd worked with, and that July I was performing on a concert in Brooklyn with Meighan Stoops (a member of the Walden School Players). At intermission, she told me that the percussionist in the Players had to cancel due to an illness in the family. She told me the program was the most incredible thing in the world, her favorite thing that she did, and they needed somebody last-minute. She asked if there was any way I could clear my schedule the next week and just come out there in 3 days to fill in. She was certain I wouldn't regret it. I had been playing a Broadway show for 2 years that had just closed that week, and I wanted a change. So I thought, "Yeah, why not? It's summer, I wouldn't mind getting out of New York for a week, and Meighan has said all these great things about it." So I rented a van, packed it up with a million instruments, and drove to New Hampshire. Almost immediately, I was absorbed by everything that Walden was. Meighan was absolutely right, I was so glad I went. So that was my first summer at Walden, and it was a really great experience.

What has your involvement with Walden been since then?

After that first summer, I didn't go back the next couple summers, but starting in 2010, I spent three years as the percussionist in the Walden School Players at YMP. After that, I had a few more years off, then returned in the resident ensemble for the Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR), and I've been doing that for four years now. Being part of both YMP and CMR, I've met many participants, ranging from the youngest students to retirees. It has been particularly interesting to see participants who were at YMP when I was there returning to CMR as college students and beyond. I see their evolution as composers, and also the things that remain about their personalities and styles. Sure, they become more mature and develop their voices as composers and become more self-assured, and yet there are unique aspects of their personalities that remain. I also see people who were students at Walden who are now on the faculty or staff, and I get to think back to when they were teenagers or younger, and I had to lie on my back and bang on the underside of the piano for their piece, or any number of things like that one does at Walden. I like to remember those things and see how they relate to the work they do later.

Could you describe a favorite Walden memory?

I'm sure others remember this piece more clearly than I do, so my telling may be limited, but it's symbolic of how I think about Walden. My last summer in The Walden School Players, there was a student whose name I can't recall, but she was fairly young and her piece was a song, I think, about a whale. The text of the song was mostly backwards, or at least in some sort of code that gradually revealed itself over the course of the performance. The gist of it was, "Underwater, everyone understands what I'm saying, but when I'm not underwater, nobody can understand me." It was very beautiful and very poignant, and as I listened to it, I became aware that's what Walden was to her. When she's there, she can speak this musical language, drawing on what students learn together and understand really deeply. Then when it's over and the students go home, it's like they're out of water. They have this deep connection with each other and they're the only ones who understand this language. I was really moved by that, and that seemed to me the way I felt about Walden. There is something really special about the place, the relationships, and musically how everyone interacts. I think of Walden as an ideal for a musical community and a way of making music. It's something I strive for in my professional life, in my teaching, in every way, to create that sort of possibility, but it's really at Walden that you can have that entirely. So I was deeply moved by that piece, which I think encapsulates the Walden experience.

Over the years I've been involved, I've also met so many professional musicians who come to teach or perform, who have learned so much from Walden and are involved in many parts of the contemporary music world. When I'm out there in the rest of the world, I have chances to think about those connections and how we also have a way of seeing the world that's shaped by Walden, and we can communicate with one another, with a shared understanding of music and how one sees it.

Outside of Walden, how are music and creativity part of your life?

Music is really central to my life year-round. It is what I do professionally, and as much as possible I try to approach my everyday professional life creatively.  I always strive to think about things through a creative lens, to question things, experiment, discover new ways of doing things. Music and creativity are also central to my teaching, both in my teaching at Williams College, as well as in outreach programs and visits to elementary schools. Wherever I am, I try to think creatively about how we approach music. That is especially important in the face of so many restrictions these past 9 months. It has provided a way to go forward, and we've discovered new ways of making music, new ways of listening (which is even more important), and new ways of sharing sound.

Beyond that, music is an important part of my family life. I have two kids, one of whom is seven and the other just turned 11. While they take violin and piano lessons and sing, music as part of our family life is not about training or hopes I might have for them to be professional musicians. I'm pretty confident I'm not pushing them toward that in any way. I do want music to be something they have access to and can be part of their everyday lives-not something they compete in or necessarily have careers in, but something that's part of the everyday texture of life. To that end, I practice with them, sit down at the piano with them, and when they are playing violin, I grab a violin and try to play along. I have never taken a violin lesson, but it's fun to try to teach myself from their lesson books and play along and learn with them. The same goes for the drum set and the marimba and any of the noisemakers I have in my studio-we all experiment and have fun. We may learn a song on one instrument and then try to play it on every other instrument. Sometimes it can be hard to be a professional musician, so to have the opportunity to just have fun with it--with people you want to spend time with--is wonderful. Music as part of family life is just as important to me now as music in my professional life.

What is a non-musical hobby that's part of your life?

I have a feeling this is widespread right now, but I started cooking during the pandemic. It's not that I didn't know how to cook before--I could apply heat to things--but I had never followed a recipe. In a way, I was very creative with my cooking, because I didn't know any techniques and didn't follow a recipe. I would improvise, and mostly it worked out, although there were some disasters. These past few months I've been following recipes, trying to learn new techniques and how ingredients and flavors work, and that's really exciting. Then as I become comfortable with a technique, I can start to depart from recipes and apply what I've learned in new ways. In that way, it's much like music--you learn your instrument, you learn techniques, you learn theory, and at a certain point you start making interpretive decisions and improvising. At a time I have fewer rehearsals and I'm not traveling, it has been really gratifying to make something others enjoy, or even something just for myself. More than anything, I've been spending time with chickpeas, and I'm quite proud of my hummus. I want to share with everyone my recent discovery of aquafaba, the liquid that canned chickpeas are soaked in. It makes the hummus incredibly smooth and creamy, so I could not be more excited about aquafaba.

What is your hope or dream for Walden's future?

It's really simple: that everyone can return. Often in organizations or ensembles, there is constant talk of growth and expanding. Maybe that's the case with Walden, I don't know, but my sense is that Walden is doing really well, and it's just important to get back to Dublin and get everyone back together. I don't think Walden needs to be other than what it is--it does what it does so well.

My other hope, personally, is that I would like to see one or both of my kids attend YMP in the not-too-distant future. I'd like it to be there for them and for them to be part of it. To have that experience, to be part of that community--I think they would connect with it really deeply and they would learn so much. It's just a special experience that is outside of what they can have at home and something they could carry with them. I also want that experience not just for my kids, but really for everyone who would benefit from that community. I hope the opportunity is there for all kids, and for a long time. So that's both my institutional hope and my personal one.

Community Events

Tomorrow, December 1, is Giving Tuesday! Giving Tuesday is a global day of generosity, supporting our communities and the organizations we love. Walden's amazing donor community keeps us thriving--thank you.

On December 1, 7 million dollars in matching funds will be available to those who donate on our Facebook page. The first $7million donated across all of the Facebook pages with active fundraisers will be matched. In order to access that $7million, you might have to wake up very early on December 1!

On #GivingTuesday, we're trying to raise $2,021 to help Walden get to 2021, which cannot happen too soon! Please join us by donating through Walden's Facebook fundraiser or at waldenschool.org/donate. Any amount helps and Facebook does not charge any fees against your donation, so 100% of your contribution goes to support Walden students, artists, faculty, staff, and programs.

Metamorphosis
Led by Caroline Mallonee, Director of Walden's Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR)
Wednesday, December 2, 7-9 pm Eastern

How do you imply the impossible? What parallels can be drawn between visual art and music? What inspiration do we find in optical and auditory illusion?

In this 90-minute workshop, we will discover parallels between mind-blowing works by the Dutch artist M. C. Escher and mind-blowing music by György Ligeti, Steve Reich, Charles Ives, Ruth Crawford Seeger, J. S. Bach, and Guillaume Machaut. This will be an interactive presentation; in addition to looking at scores and listening, we will have group discussions and do some creative work. Learn more and register here.

This event is nearly "sold out", so don't delay if you would like to attend. You can always add your name to the waiting list, in case someone who has registered decides not to attend.

For more information and to learn about future workshops, visit waldenschool.org/wow.

Community News

Premiere of Felix Jarrar's new micro-opera

On Halloween, Barn Opera/Social Distance Opera presented the world premiere production of Patience & Pearl, a "micro-opera" by Felix Jarrar. Patience & Pearl is Felix's 7th opera, with a libretto by Bea Goodwin. The work is loosely based on the story of Pearl Curran, a real 20th-century medium who channeled the words and poetry of her supposed ghost Patience Worth. In this updated, contemporary filmed production, Pearl is a blogger that enlists the help of the supernatural to assist with her earthly responsibility. Felix is a CMR alumnus.

Dana Jessen and Eli Stine collaboration

through a fragile traverse, a collaboration between Dana Jessen and Eli Stine was premiered on November 18. through a fragile traverse travels through unexplored terrain with mesmerizing visuals and other-worldly sounds, all largely informed through themes of vulnerability and impermanence. Dana, a past Walden faculty member and frequent visiting artist, composed and performed the music. Eli, a Walden alumnus, created the video. You can watch a short excerpt of the piece here. The online premiere and release was part of Brooklyn's Soup and Sound series, in partnership with Continuum Culture and Arts.

Concert of works by Max Johnson

On November 17, Roulette presented Transformations, a livestreamed concert of works by Max Johnson. The concert featured seven of Max's pieces, including two world premieres: Nine O'Clock When the Streets Were Quiet and Transformations, a piece commissioned by Roulette. The performers included past visiting Walden visiting artists pianist Steven Beck, percussionist Matthew Gold, flutist Laura Cocks, and violinist Lauren Cauley, among others. Max attended the Creative Musicians Retreat. You can watch a video of the premiere of Nine O'Clock When the Streets Were Quiet here.

New release from Scott Lee

Through the Mangrove Tunnels, a work by Scott Lee, was released on November 13. This album-length work is inspired by Scott's experiences growing up exploring the swamps and bayous of Florida, and features the JACK Quartet with pianist Steven Beck and drummer Russell Lacy performing eight genre-straddling movements. Scott is an alumnus of the Creative Musicians Retreat. Steven Beck is a past visiting artist at CMR and YMP, and JACK Quartet includes violinist Austin Wulliman, also a past visiting artist at Walden.

Zola Saadi-Klein named Luna Composition Lab Fellow

Kaufman Music Center has selected the 2020-21 Luna Composition Lab Fellows, and Zola Saadi-Klein is one of the six Fellows. Zola is an alumna of Walden's 2020 Online Young Musicians Experience. Luna Lab addresses the gender gap in the field of classical music by inspiring young self-identifying female, non-binary and gender nonconforming individuals to compose. Zola and the five other composers will be mentored by established composers: Valerie Coleman, Kristin Kuster, Tamar Muskal, Gity Razaz, Ellen Reid, and Alex Temple.

New album by D. J. Sparr

On November 13, a new album by Walden alumnus and faculty member D. J. Sparr was released. The album, Hard Metal Cantüs, is described as "a nod to Frank Zappa and Henry Cowell," features pieces composed by D. J., performed by artists including Del Sol String Quartet, Third Coast Percussion, Lubbock Chamber Orchestra, Kimberly Sparr, and D. J. himself, among others. Del Sol is a past ensemble-in-residence at Walden, and Kimberly Sparr was a 2020 OCME visiting artist.

Tamsin Waley-Cohen concert at Wigmore Hall

On November 16, violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen performed a concert from Wigmore Hall in London with pianist Huw Watkins. The concert featured the world premiere of Huw Watkins' Sonata for Violin and Piano, commissioned by Wigmore Hall and Sir Vernon Ellis. You can watch a recording of this livestreamed event here. Tamsin is a past visiting artist at Walden. This was also Tamsin's last concert for a while, because she is expecting her first child. Congratulations, Tamsin!

Pamela Z online concert

On November 18, Pamela Z performed A Secret Code, a live concert of solo works for voice and electronics, followed by moderated discussion. The concert was presented by Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts, and was streamed live via Zoom. Pamela Z is  a composer/performer and media artist making works for voice, electronic processing, samples, gesture activated MIDI controllers, and video. She is also a past visiting artist and Concert Series performer at Walden.

We want to hear from you!

What's been going on? If you have a recent or upcoming premiere, publication, award, new job or program, or a celebratory life event, please share the news. Email your news to alumni@waldenschool.org.

Stay in Touch
You can like The Walden School page on Facebook and join The Walden School private group to hear about events and opportunities throughout the year, including upcoming regional alumni Composers Forums and Holiday Parties. You can also find us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, bandcamp, and at waldenschool.org.

Read more

by Noah Mlotek

eNews: InterNetzo – October 2020

Message from Seth Brenzel, Executive Director

Dear friend,

I hope you will enjoy this October edition of InterNetzo. Read our "In the Spotlight" section to hear from Kittie Cooper, Walden faculty member and mastermind of Halloween-in-July, a beloved part of Walden summers over the past several years. You can also learn about the Walden Online Workshops (WOW) series, free educational online programs presented by our outstanding Walden faculty members and visiting artists. Also be sure to check out the Community News section to read about some of happenings in the lives and careers of fellow Walden community members.

Thanks for reading this issue of InterNetzo, participating in Walden, and lending your support and enthusiasm for our favorite summer music program. Happy Halloween!

Sincerely,
Seth

In the Spotlight

Kittie Cooper

Kittie Cooper composer, performer, and educator based in Charlottesville, Virginia. She makes art that incorporates feminism and explores the spectrum between silliness and seriousness. Her work has been called "highly original and wonderfully fun." She is interested in text and graphic scores, improvisation, and DIY electronic instruments. She is also a driving force behind a much-beloved and relatively new Walden tradition, Halloween-in-July.

How did you get connected to Walden, and what has your involvement been since then?

I started working for Walden in 2014 because Eliza Brown, a longtime Walden community member, was my freshman year Music Theory professor. She made an announcement to the class that Walden was hiring, and a friend and I both worked at YMP that summer. So it was all because of Eliza!
At the Online Young Musicians Experience (OYME) this year I was on faculty, and I was Director of Composers Forums. My role at Walden has changed every year. I started out on staff, and I've been slowly morphing through different phases and roles.

Outside of Walden, how are music and/or creativity part of your life?

I feel like creativity and music are part of every area of my life. When I'm not at Walden, I'm composing and building instruments. I perform around Charlottesville solo and with a few groups during the year. With my day job teaching, I feel that gives me a lot of creative energy and drive to make music, rather than taking away from it. I think even when I'm doing things that aren't musical on the surface, I'm approaching them with a creative point of view, and collaborating with people like I would collaborate with other artists. I think those things have just been part of my life for so long that they touch everything that I do.

Could you describe a favorite Walden memory?

I had a really hard time narrowing this down. Can I say every Walden dance? I look forward to them every year. I think it's a really special way to see the community coming together every summer. At the beginning of the summer, there are always kids who love dancing and are immediately outgoing, but by the end of the summer, you see every student finding their place-maybe it's playing in the band, or musical chairs, or maybe they secretly love dancing but felt too uncomfortable at the beginning of the summer. I love the dances.

What is something that surprised you about the online programs this summer?

When I started getting emails in the spring about the leadership team figuring out what Walden 2020 was going to look like, I didn't know what to expect. I have immense faith in the leadership team and faculty and staff to put on great programs, but I also know how difficult it is to do an online program that's not just classes, but is also a festival and a summer camp. I went into it with positive expectations, but I was surprised by how successfully it felt like Walden. OYME felt like summer camp, and for both programs (OYME and the Online Creative Musicians Experience), how much we created a community just on computer screens.

I think that says a lot about the students and the participants-they came in with so much energy and positivity. With the OYME students, many of whom had been in online school since March, it seemed like they were just really excited to do something they cared about, or some were really excited about activities; it was different for everyone, but they came in with an energy that made it still feel like summer camp. There were still goofy announcements and crazy activities, and the classes were still very Walden-y. Everyone somehow managed to combine all of the school and camp and festival parts of Walden in a way that was really refreshing and meaningful. It gave me a lot of hope and energy for remote learning for the rest of the year.

You've been described at Walden as the President of Halloween. Why do you love Halloween?

I've loved Halloween since I was really young kid, and I think a lot of it is the magical element, having a day when we all do make-believe things and dress up in costumes. I've always loved the creative aspects of it too-making decorations and costumes. I love the creativity and self-expression of it, and I also just love spooky stuff.

I don't remember exactly how Halloween in July started at Walden. I think some faculty and staff were talking about how we have winter holidays in July, and we were kind of joking that we should have Halloween in July. I really wanted it to happen though because it sounded really fun, so I kept bringing it up and asking people to help so we could make it happen. At OYME we still had Halloween in July with a Halloween puppet-making activity that Doug and I led with a lip-syncing contest to spooky music.

Community Events

Introduction to Synthesis in VCV Rack
Led by Alex Christie, Walden's Director of Electronic Music
Sunday, November 15, 4-6 pm Eastern

In this workshop, participants will learn to use the computer software VCV Rack (free!) to build virtual modular synthesizers that will allow you to explore new and exciting sound worlds. No experience is necessary to participate! This workshop is free, but limited to 15 participants. Learn more and register here.

Metamorphosis
Led by Caroline Mallonee, Director of the Creative Musicians Retreat
Wednesday, December 2, 7-9 pm Eastern

How do you imply the impossible? What parallels can be drawn between visual art and music? What inspiration do we find in optical and auditory illusion?
In this 90-minute workshop, we will discover parallels between mind-blowing works by the Dutch artist M. C. Escher and mind-blowing music by György Ligeti, Steve Reich, Charles Ives, Ruth Crawford Seeger, J. S. Bach, and Guillaume Machaut. This will be an interactive presentation; in addition to looking at scores and listening, we will have group discussions and do some creative work. Learn more and register here.

For more information and to learn about future workshops, visit waldenschool.org/wow.

CO-19 Project presented by Playground Ensemble

Beginning in April, nineteen composers, from eight states, ranging in age from 20 to 80, collaborated online to compose a contemporary classical music string quartet.  The result is a continuous collage of styles, emotions and forms, each about 30 seconds long that reflects our collective response to the pandemic.

The CO-19 Project will be presented by the Playground Ensemble's String Quartet during an online event on November 7, between 1:30 and 2:00 pm Mountain Time. The event will also feature a conversation with Bob Bassett and Quentin Marchetti, CMR alumni and organizers of the CO-19 project.

Presenting the CO-19 project will be part of the ensemble's online fundraiser, "Stream-a-thon: A Virtual Music Experience," on November 7, 1-5 pm Mountain Time.

The collaborators, almost all Walden alumni, are: Bob Bassett, Ross Beresford, Shawnee Boyd, Deb Dyko, Brett Austin Eastman, Emma Eliason (Audio Engineer), Michael Frank, Evan Ghislin, John Ivers, Lukás Janata, Judd Janes, Drew Kravin, Caroline Mallonee, Quentin Marchetti, Emil Margolis, Steve Messner, Samara Rice, Sarah Rose Stiles, and Adam Waite.
The Playground Ensemble is dedicated to presenting chamber music as a living art form. Collaboration is at the heart of the Playground's artistic vision. In residence at Metro State University of Denver, Playground commissions new works by living composers, and regularly works with dancers, poets, spoken word artists, visual artists, and multi-media artists, finding inspiration across disciplines and exploring new, hybrid artistic forms.

BMI opens 2021 scholarship season

The BMI Foundation announced that it is now accepting online applications for its 2021 scholarship season, open to students attending colleges and universities nationwide.

The Foundation will administer five distinct songwriting and composing scholarship competitions, judged by panelists of international musical acclaim. These annual programs include the BMI Future Jazz Master Scholarship, BMI Student Composer Awards, John Lennon Scholarship, peermusic Latin Scholarship, and the Nashville Songwriting Scholarship. In addition, the Foundation administers two scholarship competitions outside the area of music creation: the BMI Founders Internship Program for broadcasting students, and the Woody Guthrie Fellowship for scholars pursuing topics or themes related to the American folk music progenitor.

Most program applications must be completed online no later than January 2021, and applicants should visit the company's website for specific deadlines for each program. For details and to apply, visit bmifoundation.org/programs.

Community News

Lisa Bielawa's Voters' Broadcast premieres

Lisa Bielawa's Voters Broadcast is "a transformative Election Year musical work for online and/or socially distanced ensembles," with text from Sheryl Oring's I Wish to Say. Voters' Broadcast was premiered in three virtual events on September 30, October 14, and October 28, and co-presented by the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and Kaufman Music Center in New York. The live world premiere took place outdoors and distanced on October 24, co-presented by Kaufman Music Center and Brooklyn Public Library, as part of the Library's crowd-sourced 28th Amendment Project. Lisa was Composer-in-Residence for the 2020 Online Creative Musicians Experience.

Verdant Vibes season features Anuj Bhutani

Walden alumnus Anuj Bhutani is among the composers featured on Verdant Vibes' sixth season. Short performances and conversations featuring pieces chosen from our call for scores, guest artists, and collaborators. The virtual concert series will feature short performances and conversations featuring pieces chosen from our call for scores, guest artists, and collaborators. Verdant Vibes is a new music collective and concert series based in Providence. Anuj participated in the 2020 Online Creative Musicians Experience.

George Brandon premieres at Digital Divergent Symposium
In late September, Longy School of Music of Bard College hosted Digital Divergent, a two day online contemporary music symposium. CMR alumnus George Brandon is one of the Divergent Studio composers.  On September 27, works of George's were premiered, including "Two Dream Poems" for soprano and piano and an excerpt from "Little Suite for Oboe and Percussion" composed for the Alone Together virtual collaborations. These events were free and open to the public.

Washington Master Chorale opens virtual season

Washington Master Chorale has transitioned to an entirely virtual season, opening Friday, October 30. The first program, Illuminations, celebrates the music of Baltic and Scandinavian composers: Latvian Eriks Esenvalds, Norwegian Ola Gjeilo, and Estonian Cyrillus Kreek, among others. The livestream event features a full virtual chorus as well as a socially distanced chamber choir performing in the Church of the Epiphany in Washington D.C. The broadcast took place at 7 pm Eastern, and is available to stream all weekend. The next program is Splendid Jewel on December 18. Thomas Colohan is the Artistic Director of Washington Master Chorale, a Walden alumnus, and a frequent visiting artist at Walden.

NSO@Home features Matthew Cummings
On October 4, The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) featured Matthew Cummings on its NSO@Home series. Matthew performed both a Bach cello movement from the Third Suite for Solo Cello as well as his own original composition, Some Floating Island, for cello and pre-recorded effects. Matthew was also interviewed by the concert series host, NSO principal second violinist Marissa Regni. The weekly NSO@Home concerts are broadcast via Facebook Live and YouTube, and feature NSO musicians performing live from their homes, and also feature a Kennedy Center NSO Youth Fellow. You can watch the entire concert on YouTube here. Matthew was a 2020 OYME student.

Isabel Lepanto Gleicher performance and premiere

On October 27, flutist Isabel Lepanto Gleicher performed as part of the International Contemporary Ensemble's Tues@7 series. The event also featured the world premiere of Izzy's piece, Orchestrated Thoughts. Izzy was joined by joined by composer, drummer, educator and scholar Jessie Cox, and revolutionary freedom artist MC Spiritchild for an evening exploring new ways to collaborate and develop sound. "In highlighting each artist's practice, the evening culminates in a new collaborative work developed in an exquisite corpse style, layering improvisations, sounds, and abstract views of the outside world." Izzy has been in residence at Walden with the International Contemporary Ensemble for the past three summers.

Cara Haxo and Brian Fancher married

Cara Haxo and Brian Fancher got married on October 10. Cara spent six summers as a YMP student, and is now a faculty member and Academic Dean. Brian joined the Walden staff in 2017, and is now on faculty. When not at Walden, Brian is High School Vocal Music, Limited Edition, and Musical Director for Mayfield High School in Ohio. Cara earned her Ph.D. in Composition at the University of Oregon, was awarded the 2019 International Alliance for Women in Music Libby Larsen Prize, and her music often incorporates stories, poetry, and artwork. Congratulations, Cara and Brian!

Julie Herndon joins faculty at SFCM
Julie Herndon has joined the Faculty in Technology and Applied Composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Julie Herndon is an Oakland-based composer and performer. Her work explores the body's relationship to the self, to performance, and to tools like musical instruments and personal technologies. She is also an alumna of the Creative Musicians Retreat, and is engaged to be married to fellow Creative Musicians Retreat alumnus, John Ivers. 

Mabel Kwan new album with Restroy

Restroy's new album, Sketches, was released on September 25. Chicago-based jazz ensemble Restroy is led by bassist Chris Dammann, with Avreeayl Ra on drums, Paul Giallorenzo and Mabel Kwan on keys, Kevin Davis on cello, and James Davis on trumpet. Mabel was the pianist for the 2020 Walden School Players, and premiered a number of solo pieces written by students of the Online Young Musicians Experience. On Sketches, Mabel performs on piano, synthesizers, and clavichord.

Matthew Levy releases Sum of Its Parts

On October 9, Matthew Levy released a world premiere recording, Sum of Its Parts, music for tenor saxophone and electronics. This is Matt's first solo recording on XAS, and features works by Emma O'Halloran and Jacob Walls. Matt is a founding member and executive and co-artistic director of PRISM Quartet, a past visiting artist at Walden, and continues to partner with Walden through the annual PRISM Quartet/Walden School Young Composer Commissioning Award, which culminates in PRISM premiering a work by a Walden student each spring.

Screening of Anna Lindemann's work The Colony

On October 18, the film version of Anna Lindemann's art-science performance The Colony was screened as part of the 13th Imagine Science Film Festival. Anna joined Imagine Science for a conversation about the show following the screening. The Colony is a show about sisterhood and the evolution of communication in two of the most social creatures on earth: humans and ants. Informed by scientific research on ant colonies, The Colony ventures into speculative fiction and includes projected animations and imagery alongside live spoken and musical performance. Anna is a composer, biologist, animator, performer, educator, and an alumna of the Young Musicians Program.

Ted Moore and Katie Balch married

Ted Moore and Katie Balch are now married! They met while they were both serving on the faculty at the Young Musicians Program. Katie is a composer, whose music "captures the magic of everyday sounds, inviting audiences into a sonic world characterized by imagination, discovery, and a rich diversity of styles." She is also a 2020 Rome Prize winner. Ted is composer, improviser, intermedia artist, and educator. His work focuses on fusing the sonic, visual, physical, and acoustic aspects of performance and sound, often through the integration of technology. Ted Congratulations, Ted and Katie!

Brent Morden works on new musical, Infernal

Brent Morden is composing, arranging, and music directing Infernal, a new musical created by Misha Mullany. The show is based on Dante Alighieri's Inferno. The New York-based show will premiere in December. Brent is based in New York, and is a composer, arranger, conductor, singer, and educator. He is also an alumnus of the Creative Musicians Retreat.

National Sawdust 2020 New Works Commission winners

National Sawdust has announced 20 commissions from its Digital Discovery Festival open call commission for emerging composers residing or working in the United States. Among those commissioned are Walden faculty Ted Moore and past visiting artist Rajna Swaminathan. Their works will be premiered by

JACK Quartet on Friday, December 11. Austin Wulliman, one of the audiences together with artists, continue artist development during quarantine, and compensate artists in the hope that we can help each other build community while physically distancing.members of JACK Quartet, is also a past visiting artist at Walden. The Digital Discovery Festival is a weekly program of live performances, interviews, and artist development designed to bring audiences together with artists,

continue artist development during quarantine, and compensate artists in the hope that we can help each other build community while physically distancing.

Steve Parker awarded Rome Prize

Steve Parker, a past visiting artist at Walden, has been named a Rome Prize Fellow for 2021. Steve has been awarded the Cynthia Hazen Polsky and Leon Polsky Rome Prize for his project, Futurist Opera. These highly competitive fellowships support advanced independent work and research in the arts and humanities. Each winner receives a stipend, workspace, and room and board for a period of four to seven months at the Academy's eleven-acre campus in Rome, beginning in January 2021. In Rome, Steve will design a series of novel instruments and sound suits to be used in a new form of participatory opera. You can read more here.

Piece by Krishan Rai premiered on MATA Jr. 

Krishan Rai's piece, Revolving Images, was one of eight pieces premiered on October 18 as part of MATA Jr. The concert featured the Bergamot Quartet, and was livestreamed from Scholes Street Studio in Brooklyn. Founded in 2014 as the educational arm of MATA, MATA Jr. is a collaborative learning experience, connecting pre-college composers from around the world with MATA artists and performers. Over the course of several months, six pre-college composers work with MATA Jr.'s composer-mentors as they write new works, culminating in an evening of world premieres. Krishan attended YMP in 2019.

Noah Stein wins 2020 NAfME Student Composers Competition

Noah Stein is one of four students named winners of the 2020 National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Student Composers Competition. The NAfME Student Composers Competition spotlights original music written by student composers. Noah's piece, Riparian Reeds, was one of two pieces selected at the High School level. You can listen to all of the winning and honorable mention student compositions here, including Noah's. Noah has been a YMP student for two summers, and was an OYME student in 2020.

Livestreamed concert with Stenberg|Cahill Duo

The Stenberg|Cahill Duo, composed of violinist Kate Stenberg and pianist Sarah Cahill, performed a concert at Old First Church in San Francisco on October 11. The concert featured works by Somei Satoh, Lili Boulanger, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (arr. Maud Powell), Germaine Tailleferre, Ruth Crawford Seeger, Johannes Brahms, and world premieres by Ronald Bruce Smith and Mary D. Watkins. The concert was streamed live, and you can learn more about the performers and Old First Concerts here. Kate is a past visiting artist at Walden.

Trash Cats perform as part of Telemetry Music Series

Trash Cats, a duo composed of Walden faculty members Alex Christie and Kittie Cooper, performed on October 14 as part of the Telemetry Music Series. The event was streamed live on Twitch. Telemetry is an unconventional music series, showcasing bold new musical compositions, new instrumentation, and unique collaborations across space and genre. Each performance is free and open to the public.

Yarn/Wire features Sam Pluta and George Lewis

On October 22, Yarn/Wire featured Sam Pluta and George Lewis on Episode 18 of their series, Feedback. With Feedback, Yarn/Wire hopes to offer some unique answers to the question: "What is creative music?" For Yarn/Wire, it is a relationship between musicians, composers, artists, coupled with a dedication to making work that is meaningful, challenging, impactful, varied, and relevant. Each episode of Feedback features live video interviews with composers, musicians, and Yarn/Wire members covering a wide ranging set of topics, including our repertoire built over the past 15 years, as well as new works in progress. Yarn/Wire is a past visiting artist at Walden. Sam Pluta is a longtime Walden faculty member, and George Lewis is a past visiting artist, most recently as the CMR Composer-in-Residence in 2019.

In Memoriam

Leon Fleisher

Described as "one of America's most beloved and resourceful pianists," Leon Fleisher died in August at the age of 92. He debuted at Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic at age 16, and at age 23, became the first American to win the Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition in Brussels. At age 36, he lost the use of his right hand. Leon increased his teaching, began a conducting career, and focused on performing music written specifically for the left hand only. Leon taught for over 60 years at the Peabody Institute, and was a longtime member of Walden's Advisory Council and teacher to many Walden faculty and visiting artists over the years. He is deeply missed, and we are grateful for his legacy.

We want to hear from you!
What's been going on? If you have a recent or upcoming premiere, publication, award, new job or program, or a celebratory life event, please share the news. Email your news to alumni@waldenschool.org.

Stay in Touch
You can like The Walden School page on Facebook and join The Walden School private group to hear about events and opportunities throughout the year, including upcoming regional alumni Composers Forums and Holiday Parties. You can also find us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, bandcamp, and at waldenschool.org.

by Noah Mlotek

eNews: InterNetzo – September 2020

Message from Seth Brenzel, Executive Director

Dear friend,

I hope you will enjoy this special autumn equinox edition of InterNetzo, reflecting on this summer unlike any other. We had a number of exciting events during the Online Creative Musicians Experience and the Online Young Musicians Experience, concluding with a wonderful final concert by flutist Claire Chase.

If you tuned in to Giving Day on September 9, I hope you enjoyed the many video highlights from our summer. You can read more below, and if you are on Facebook, you can watch all the videos here.

Our Summer of Creativity Create-a-Thon has come to a close, and you can still check out these fascinating projects. I am so grateful for these creative individuals and their incredible projects who have inspired so much generosity toward Walden this summer.

Be sure to check out the Community News section to read about some of happenings in the lives and careers of fellow Walden community members.

Thanks for reading this issue of InterNetzo, participating in Walden, and lending your support and enthusiasm for our favorite summer music program. We look forward to being in touch in the weeks and months to come.

Sincerely,
Seth

Community Events

Giving Day

Walden's second-ever Giving Day took place on Wednesday, September 9.

Throughout the day, we shared video highlights from our summer, including concerts, composers forums, student activities, and Create-a-Thon reflections. If you are on Facebook, you can watch all the videos here.

We set a goal of raising $3,800, to help Walden return to New Hampshire for our 38th summer at Dublin School. With everyone's help, we raised more than $9,100. Thank you.

We are so grateful to everyone who donated to support Walden's transformative music programs, and who tuned it to see glimpses of Walden's summer.

To close Giving Day, we shared this video of group singing during the Online Young Musicians Experience, led by students Ash, Noah, Graham, and Marco, along with staff member Francesca.

Although the Create-a-Thon has officially come to a close, you can still check out these 14 amazing projects and even make a contribution (through September 30) if you are so moved.

Claire Chase performs to benefit Walden

On Saturday, August 1, Walden alumni, faculty and staff, board members, families, and friends gathered by video call an online concert to benefit and celebrate Walden, featuring flutist Claire Chase. In case you were not able to join, you missed her performing live from the Louise Shonk Kelly Recital Hall at Dublin School.

Claire gave a stunning performance featuring works by Dai Fujikura, Du Yun, and past Walden Composer-in-Residence Marcos Balter. A fascinating conversation with Marcos and Claire followed the performance.

We are so grateful to our host committee and all of our event donors for their generosity--we raised more than $5,400. Thank you! Your support helps ensure creative musicians find a home at Walden for generations to come.

2020 Summer Programs

Online Young Musicians Experience

The Online Young Musicians Experience (OYME) brought together 33 talented and creative young people from around the country and beyond. Though physically distanced, students had ample opportunity to connect with a larger community of peers, mentors, and friends, through creative extracurricular projects, social gatherings, weekly concerts, and participation in some of Walden's beloved traditions.

Our faculty team included Alex Christie, Kittie Cooper, Brian Fancher, Danny Felsenfeld, Cara Haxo, Doug Hertz, Michael Kropf, Nate May, Sarah Riskind, and Dennis Sullivan, a brilliant group of composers and educators ready to mentor, support, and inspire OYME students. Many thanks, also, to staff members Sammi Stone, Francesca Hellerman, and Lila Meretzky for their tireless work behind the scenes. Our visiting artists--Aurora Nealand and friends, the International Contemporary Ensemble, thingNY, and The Walden School Players--gave incredible performances on our online concert series. Each concert was free and open to the public (with an internet connection).

Festival Week included four Composers Forums, July 27-30, on which all 33 OYME students had a piece premiered. These pieces were performed by the six members of The Walden School Players--Laura Cocks, Erica Dicker, Dana Jessen, Mabel Kwan, Tawnya Popoff, and Chris Wild--as well as past faculty member Erin Cameron. Every piece was followed by discussion with the composer, moderated by faculty members and Composer-in-Residence Mario Diaz de Leon. Mario brought a warm, thoughtful, and supportive voice, and also shared a fascinating presentation about his journey as a composer.

Students also participated in a variety of physically-distanced camp fun, including a cooking class from Neil at Dublin School, building their own synthesizers with faculty members Alex and Kittie, juggling with Walden alumni parent Susan Lord, group singing from home, and two open mic nights.

Throughout the summer, our faculty, staff, visiting artists, and students showed incredible adaptability. It is inspiring to see the Walden community harness constraints to fuel composition, creating music that embraces digital spaces in mind- and ear-opening ways and responds to our time with poignant, arresting sounds.

Online Creative Musicians Experience

The Online Creative Musicians Experience (OCME) was an amazing nine days immersed in music-making! The OCME community was spread across two countries, four time zones, fifteen states and the District of Columbia, but we made use of the technology available to come together to form a warm and inspiring community.

OCME included a word of the day each morning, drinking a lot of coffee, and an academic curriculum that would make Grace Cushman proud. OCME had a full slate of offerings, including classes in musicianship, electronic music, and contemporary topics; workshops in digital synthesis, the contemporary string quartet, found object percussion, and choral commissioning; and an incredible opening concert with Mivos Quartet.

Our teaching faculty included veteran faculty members Loretta Notareschi, D. J. Sparr, Alex Christie, and Renée Favand-See and OCME Director Caroline Mallonee. We were pleased to welcome back Mivos Quartet (Olivia De Prato, Victor Lowrie Tafoya, Maya Bennardo, Tyler J. Borden) as well as our other artists-in-residence, Thomas Colohan, Matthew Gold, and Eric Huebner.We were so fortunate to have Lisa Bielawa as our Composer-in-Residence. In addition to being a thoughtful and insightful forum moderator, Lisa invited us to be a part of her large-scale project, Broadcast from Home. OCME participants, faculty, staff, and artists contributed recordings that were incorporated into Chapter 11. You can listen to it here, and you may even recognize some of the voices.

The final weekend included two composers forums with sixteen world premieres, a virtual open mic session, and reflecting on the online week together. We are grateful to our participants for their creativity and enthusiasm, and we hope to see everyone in person soon!

Help Walden Get Ready for next summer

2020 has certainly changed the world. And, although it brought many unexpected challenges, 2020 has also brought us wonderful community events, engaging online experiences, stunning new music in virtual performance spaces, and more. These have inspired us, filled us with gratitude, and kept Walden's community thriving. Visit waldenschool.org/2020 to learn more about the summers many successes.

The generosity of our donors makes all that we do possible, and we are so grateful for their steadfast support. As we reflect on summer 2021, we are also looking ahead to summer 2021. We can hardly wait to return to New Hampshire, and we need your help.

If you would like to make a gift to support Walden's transformative programs, you can donate online through this link, or send a check payable to "The Walden School" to our administrative office, 30 Monterey Blvd., Suite E, San Francisco, CA 94131. Gifts must be postmarked by September 30 or made online by 11:59pm PDT on September 30 to count toward Walden's 2020 fiscal year. Thank you for your consideration.

News and Goods

Amazon Smile

Do you find yourself shopping on Amazon.com more often these days? Do you have "back" to school shopping to do? If you're shopping on Amazon, don't forget to use AmazonSmile! A portion of every sale will be donated to Walden.

Go to smile.amazon.com and select "Walden School" (listed in San Francisco, CA) as your charity. You'll know it's us, because it includes our mission and our programs.

Mission: The Walden School inspires artistic expression and personal growth through experiential music programs.
Programs: Young Musicians Program, Creative Musicians Retreat

Community News

Katie Balch named Rome Prize winner
On July 23, the American Academy in Rome announced the new Rome Prize Winners and Italian Fellows. Past YMP faculty member Katie Balch was awarded the Elliot Carter Rome Prize in Musical Composition. These highly competitive fellowships support advanced independent work and research in the arts and humanities. Each winner receives a stipend, workspace, and room and board for a period of f our to seven months at the Academy's eleven-acre campus in Rome, beginning in January 2021.

Anuj Bhutani wins Cerddorion Competition

Walden alumnus Anuj Bhutani won first prize in Cerddorion Vocal Ensemble's Eighth Annual Emerging Composers Competition. Anuj was selected for his piece Moments (poem by e.e. cummings). Cerddorion will premiere the first and second prize winning compositions in Spring 2021. Anuj participated in the 2020 Online Creative Musicians Experience.

Michael Daugherty tribute to Woody Guthrie
This Land Sings: Inspired by the Life and Times of Woody Guthrie is past CMR Composer-in-Residence Michael Daugherty's musical tribute to the singer-songwriter and political activist Woody Guthrie. Naxos released the world-premiere recording, featuring performances by the Albany Symphony's Dogs of Desire, conducted by David Alan Miller, and vocal soloists Annika Socolofsky and John Daugherty.

Del Sol String Quartet premieres with Library of Congress

Del Sol String Quartet is participating in the Library of Congress' Boccaccio Project, a series of new commissions inspired by the current situation. Violist Charlton Lee teamed up with composer Luciano Chessa on the piece 1462 Willard Street, and cellist Kathryn Bates worked with improviser-composer Miya Masaoka on Intuit. Del Sol is a past visiting artist at Walden.

Rebekah Griffin Greene performs online concert
On July 24, Rebekah Griffin Greene performed on an online concert, the second in the Bloomingdale School of Music's summer concert series. Rebekah is on faculty at the Bloomingdale School of Music, and the concert also featured fellow faculty member Tereasa Payne. The performance also featured Terry Greene, Rebekah's husband. Rebekah is a Walden alumna, and both Rebekah and Terry are past YMP faculty members.

Felix Jarrar joins Brooklyn Music School faculty

Felix Jarrar has joined the faculty at Brooklyn Music School as the pianist/coach for the Virtual Summer Vocal Arts program. Felix has also launched a YouTube channel, sharing his art songs and excerpts of his operas. Felix is a Brooklyn-based composer and pianist, and an alumnus of the Creative Musicians Retreat.

Camara Kambon writes music for John Lewis documentary

Walden alumnus Camara Kambon wrote the music for "John Lewis: Get in the Way," a documentary film about the late Congressman John Lewis. There was a national PBS broadcast of the film on July 23 with an introduction by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. The film was streaming on PBS through the middle of August. Camara attended the Young Musicians Program.

Albert Kim featured on SF Piano Festival
Albert Kim was featured on the San Francisco International Piano Festival, with an interview and retrospective performance on August 21. In conversation with artistic director Jeffrey LaDeur. The interview explored tradition and innovation, the formats through which we share and receive music, illusions of the classical music industry, and how young musicians are leading the way forward. The performance featured works by Ravel, Pierre Jalbert, and Beethoven. Albert is an alumnus of the Young Musicians Program. You can watch the performance and discussion here.

Tyson Laa Deng graduates Master of Science

YMP alumnus Tyson Laa Deng has graduated with a Master of Science in Information Technology from Southern New Hampshire University. Tyson has accepted a job as an Information Security Engineer at PayPal, Inc. Congratulations, Tyson!

 

Tawnya Popoff performs online concert

Tawnya Popoff performed an online concert on July 23, part of a series hosted by Weekend of Chamber Music (WCM). Tawnya performed music by Melia Watras, Garth Knox, Milton Barnes, Stravinsky, and Gershwin. Violist Tawnya Popoff is a longtime member of The Walden School Players. You can watch the concert here.

Debut album from Dennis Sullivan and Erin Rogers

Composer/percussionist Dennis Sullivan and composer/saxophonist Erin Rogers make up the duo Popebama, which just released their debut album, Nation Building. The album includes four original works,a nd is described as "a 40-minute guide to forging your own sound world." Dennis is a YMP/OYME faculty member, and Erin was a 2020 OYME visiting artist with thingNY.

Tamsin Waley-Cohen performs online concert

Tamsin Waley-Cohen was featured on Ryedale Festival's Ryestream, their new online concert series. Tamsin, a violinist, collaborated with pianist Christopher Glynn on a program of works by Edward Elgar, including the Sonata and the Chansons de Matin and de Nuit, which we recorded in All Saints Church in Helmsley, North Yorkshire. Tamsin is a past visiting artist at Walden. You can watch the performance here.

Article from Claudia Wallis in Scientific American

Claudia Wallis published an article in Scientific American entitled "Why Some People Get Terribly Sick from COVID-19." The article explores the complex and overlapping factors that can make an individual more susceptible to serious illness from COVID-19. Claudia is an award-winning science journalist, and the mother of YMP alumnus Nat Osborn.

Chris Wild virtual cello recital

Cellist Chris Wild gave a virtual recital on August 16 to benefit Musicians Foundation's CV19 Emergency Relief Aid Grant Program. Chris performed Benjamin Britten's Suite No.1 for Solo Cello, Drew Baker's Age of the Deceased (Six Months in Chicago), and Marcos Balter's memória. If you are on Facebook, you can still watch the performance here. Chris also shares content on his YouTube channel, Great Moments in Orchestral History. Chris is a member of The Walden School Players.

Evan Williams joins Lawrence University Board of Trustees

Evan Williams, a past YMP faculty member, has joined the Lawrence University Board of Trustees as a Recent Graduate Trustee. Evan is a composer and assistant professor of music and director of instrumental activities at Rhodes College. He graduated from Lawrence with a bachelor's degree in music theory and composition and holds a DMA in composition with a cognate in orchestral conducting from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati and a masters of music in composition from Bowling Green State University.

We want to hear from you!
What's been going on? If you have a recent or upcoming premiere, publication, award, new job or program, or a celebratory life event, please share the news. Email your news to alumni@waldenschool.org.

Stay in Touch
You can like The Walden School page on Facebook and join The Walden School private group to hear about events and opportunities throughout the year, including upcoming regional alumni Composers Forums and Holiday Parties. You can also find us on Instagram, Twitter, and at waldenschool.org.

by Noah Mlotek

eNews: InterNetzo – June 2020

Message from Seth Brenzel, Executive Director

Dear friend,

Please enjoy this June edition of InterNetzo. Walden's Summer of Creativity Create-a-Thon begins today! We invite your participation and welcome your support--please learn more in the Community Events section.

You can also hear from Carrie Mallonee about our 2020 Online Creative Musicians Experience (OCME), and register for our July 5 concert with Aurora Nealand and friends. Check out our "In the Spotlight" section to hear reflections from Theo Trevisan, an alumnus of three Walden programs as well as a 2019 staff member.

Sincerely,
Seth

Community Events

Join Walden's Summer of Creativity!

Upcoming

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

by Noah Mlotek

eNews: InterNetzo – May 2020

Message from Seth Brenzel, Executive Director

Dear friend,

I hope you will find this May edition of InterNetzo hopeful and informative. Be sure to check out our “In the Spotlight” section to hear from Tamar Bloch, alumna of the Junior Conservatory Camp and longtime Walden faculty member.

First, I want to share with you some important updates about our 2020 programs.

Walden 2020

As we pause our in-person programs this summer, Walden is offering two new, alternative programming options. Learn more about the Online Creative Musicians Experience (June 13-21; for musicians ages 18+) and the Online Young Musicians Experience (July 6-30; for students ages 9-18)  below.

In addition, we hope you will join us for one or more of our online events this summer, beginning with our opening concert on June 13, featuring Mivos Quartet, Matthew Gold, Eric Huebner, and the music of Lisa Bielawa and Loretta Notareschi, among others. Details below.

Though we grieve being unable to gather together in New Hampshire this summer, the spirit and community of Walden are unshaken. We are deeply grateful to all of our friends and donors, whose generosity keeps Walden thriving this year, next year, and every year. We will miss our many friends in Dublin and the Monadnock region this summer. We eagerly look forward to gathering in-person again soon, and for many wonderful summers to come.

We wish everyone in the Walden community the very best for wellness and peace during this challenging time.

Sincerely,
Seth

Community Events

Josh Modney performs to benefit Walden

On May 2, Walden alumni, faculty and staff, board members, families, and friends gathered by video call from more than 80 locations around the country and around the world for an amazing online concert. Violinist Josh Modney, a frequent visiting artist at Walden, gave a stunning performance featuring works by J.S. Bach, Taylor Brook, and three Walden alumnae: Caroline Mallonee, Darlene Castro Ortiz, and Genevieve Evans.

We were delighted to welcome all three featured Walden alumnae, as well as Taylor Brook, on the video call, and so we were able to hear directly from each of them about their musical ideas. Thanks, also, to Walden faculty members Katie Balch and Cara Haxo providing delicious and festive recipes for attendees to try while we were all e-ttending from home.

You can find a video here of Caroline Mallonee, alumna and Director of Walden’s Creative Musicians Retreat, speaking about the selections from her collection, String Tunes, which Josh performed.

We are so grateful to our host committee and all of our event donors for their many contributions. With everyone’s help, we raised more than $10,300. Thank you! Such generous support ensures creative musicians find a home at Walden for generations to come.

June 13 – Summer Season Opening Concert – ONLINE

We hope you will join us on Saturday, June 13, for our first online concert of the summer, featuring Mivos Quartet, percussionist Matthew Gold, and pianist Eric Huebner. The concert will include performances of works by our Online Creative Musicians Experience Composer-in-Residence Lisa Bielawa and Walden alumna and faculty member Loretta Notareschi, among others.

Saturday, June 13, 2020
4:00 pm Eastern time
Zoom video call

Stay tuned for event details, as well as information about more online events!

In the Spotlight

Tamar Bloch

Tamar Bloch spent four summers as a student at the Junior Conservatory Camp (JCC), Walden’s predecessor program, and more than fifteen summers on Walden’s faculty. An accomplished music educator, composer, and performer, Tamar is a wonderful member of the Walden community, and has many stories to share.

 

How and when did your relationship with JCC and Walden begin?

My lifelong relationship with JCC and Walden began in 1969, as a student at JCC. I had never composed before, and my first summer, I didn’t write a note. During my second summer, I saw that everyone else was composing, so I started as well. I am continually amazed that Grace Newsom Cushman founded this extraordinary summer program in the 1950s, and that her legacy is going strong! It really was a life changing experience for me, in so many ways, and I’m still close with some of my former JCC roommates to this day, including Robin Seto and Sheree Clement. It’s wonderful to have these lifelong connections. My 4 summers at JCC have informed my life as a musician and teacher throughout my varied careers.

What has been your connection with Walden since then?

After spending four summers at JCC, I started teaching at Walden in 1975. Since then, I spent many years on the faculty at Walden, both in Vershire, Vermont, at the Mountain School, and in Dublin for many, many summers. Since then, I’ve moderated composers forums in New York and at alumni reunions. It was wonderful to hear music from alumni and students, and to lead the discussion. I’ve helped organize alumni reunions, and was sorry to miss the last one.

I have always felt a very strong connection with JCC and Walden on a deeply personal level. Now that connection is consciously fostered, but there has always been a sense of community and deep-rooted friendships. During my 15 years living in Budapest, I often taught at Walden during the summers, and it always felt like coming “home.”

Could you describe a favorite memory from your time as a JCC student?

There were so many musical and non-musical wonders. I remember one night Mrs. C woke us all up to go out to watch the northern lights. It was extraordinary, standing outside Burklyn Manor in our pajamas, watching the northern lights. I remember Alan Shewmon playing Chopin etudes, the thrill of singing in a choir, Nelson Max’s films, not to mention the composers forums. In class we analyzed Bartok’s Music for Strings Percussion, and Celesta, still one of my favorite pieces, as well as George Crumb’s Ancient Voices of Children. The mountain hikes were epic, and somehow we made it up and down Mt. Washington!

Could you describe a favorite memory from your time on faculty?

One of my most amazing experiences was Pauline Oliveros’ residency. We did many of her meditations and performed her music. She was an amazing presence, and I had the good fortune to attend her second International Conference on Deep Listening. My experiences at JCC and Walden prepared me for that. Taking on new challenges, trying out new sounds, and being pushed outside your comfort zone were and are ongoing at Walden.

Although I don’t like to single out students or classes, I had one class which we called the “Future Presidents Club.” There were three girls in it who did amazing work.  We sang atonal melodies, they could read anything, they sang musically and in tune. Sam Adler, who was composer-in-residence that year, came to my class and complimented me on the beautiful singing. There are so many memories, I could write a book!

How are music and creativity part of your life now?

I really enjoy listening. I love listening to leaves rustling in the air and different bird calls. Just standing still and listening to what’s around me. I also love helping students to open their ears and hear the sounds around them. Right now, I’m preparing to move, which is a huge operation. However, once I move to Rhinebeck, New York, with my partner, I plan on taking lessons with Marilyn Crispell (JCC alumna and past Walden visiting artist), who lives nearby. My first jazz teacher, Ellen Hoffman, is also a JCC alumna — full circle.

What is a non-musical hobby you love?

I’ve always enjoyed cooking and find that to be a very creative activity. I can’t give anyone my recipes because I make them up as I go along!

I love to travel, and I love going to museums, concerts, films, theater, etc. I’m a ‘culture vulture’. I’ve been having movie nights with Peter, my partner, since sheltering in place started, and we’ll get back to traveling when it’s safe, even if that won’t be for a while.

What is your hope or dream for Walden’s future?

One of the great things about Walden is that it’s non-judgmental, and a very safe place to try out new ideas. It’s a safe place to fail–which you do in composing, in life, in everything–and then you figure out how to make it better. Walden is unusual in the depth of mentorship and learning from one another–it’s really free-flowing knowledge, which you certainly don’t find in every teaching situation. I feel that knowledge is to be shared and distributed, not to be held onto. We’ve all gotten the knowledge from somewhere, so I think it’s our duty to pass it on.

I also find Walden is a great place to be able to dream and create, in classes as well as independently. I really love watching my former students grow and become adults and have their own families and careers. It’s great to follow them and see what they’re doing, and I love seeing pictures of their children. That sense of community and connection is so much a part of Walden.

2020 Summer Programs

Walden 2020 Online Experiences

While we cannot gather in person this summer, Walden is excited to offer two alternative programming options: the Online Creative Musicians Experience for adult musicians (ages 18+), and the Online Young Musicians Experience for students ages 9 to 18. All participants already enrolled for summer 2020 programs are automatically admitted and warmly invited to participate, and we are accepting applications for both programs, on a first-come, first-served basis. Enrollment is limited, and some need-based financial aid is available.

Online Creative Musicians Experience

June 13-June 21, 2020

This experience will include classes in musicianship, contemporary topics, and electronic music, composition, instrumental, and professional development workshops, private composition, instrumental, and conducting lessons, an Opening Concert (June 13) and Closing Composers Forums (June 20 and 21). An incredible team of accomplished and experienced Walden faculty will be leading our week together, including Alexander Christie, Renée Favand-See, Caroline Mallonee, Loretta Notareschi, and D. J. Sparr. They will be joined by artists-in-residence Lisa Bielawa (composer-in-residence), Thomas Colohan (conductor), Matthew Gold (percussion), Eric Huebner (piano), and Mivos Quartet (ensemble-in-residence).

Online Young Musicians Experience

July 6 – July 30, 2020 (Mondays-Thursdays)

Students (ages 9 to 18) will have the opportunity to take classes and lessons with veteran Walden faculty members (musicianship, composition, and special topics), compose a solo piece for performance and recording by one of Walden’s amazing visiting artists, e-ttend numerous online concerts and composers forums, and participate in some online and offline recreational & community activities led by members of Walden’s faculty and staff. Stay tuned for more details to come!

We are excited to launch these new program offerings, and like all of us at this time, we are learning and experimenting as we go. Thank you for your support, patience, and understanding during this dynamic period. If you have any questions or comments in regards, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 Featured Community Project

The CO-19 Project

Despite the current situation, Walden alumni have been connecting and collaborating in inspiring ways! Nineteen composers, from eight states, ranging in age from 20 to nearly 80, collaborated on The CO-19 Project: A Collage for String Quartet by 19 Composers. Their contributions, new works and old, express the varied emotions experienced during the pandemic. The collage highlights how The Walden School’s programs foster a wide community of composers. Nearly all of the collaborators are Walden alumni. Special thanks to Bob Bassett, CMR alumnus, for his work in coordinating this collaboration. Stay tuned to hear more about this exciting project!

The Collaborators
Bob Bassett
Ross Beresford
Shawnee Boyd
Deb Dyko
Brett Austin Eastman
Emma Eliason (Audio Engineer)
Michael Frank
Evan Ghislin
John Ivers
Lukáš Janata
Judd Janes
Drew Kravin
Caroline Mallonee
Quentin Marchetti
Emil Margolis
Steve Messner
Samara Rice
Sarah Rose Stiles
Adam Waite

Community News

Vicente Hansen Atria online premiere
On May 3, a new work by Vicente Hansen Atria was premiered as part of the American Composers Orchestra’s new solo commissioning initiative, Connecting ACO Community. The project pairs a composer and a performer for an online premiere and discussion. Vicente’s piece was premiered by Jay Campbell. Vicente is an alumnus of the Creative Musicians Retreat, and is currently pursuing his DMA at Columbia University.

Andrew Barnes Jamieson virtual concert
On May 16, Young Musicians Program alumnus Andrew Barnes Jamieson performed live online a polytonal/deconstructed piano improvisation. The performance was part of Experimental Sound Studio’s Quarantine Concerts, daily livestream concerts by experimental musicians from across the country. Andrew was “joined” by Kelley Sheehan, Katherine Young, and Sivan Cohen Elias. Andrew’s live polytonal mashup work involves at least two recognizable melodies in two different hands, with independent/clashing tonalities and rhythms.

Kittie Cooper graduates with Program Award

Kittie Cooper graduated from George Mason University College of Education and Human Development on May 22, and received a 2020 Program Award. Kittie was selected by the faculty as Outstanding Student in Special Education (Visual Impairment certificate). Kittie teaches music at the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind and has been on Walden’s faculty and staff team since 2014. You can read a Q&A with Kittie. Congratulations, Kittie!

Cara Haxo wins Emerging Women Composers Competition 

Women in the Arts has announced Cara Haxo is the winner of its 2022 Emerging Women Composers Competition. With this award, Cara has been commissioned to create a new piece for orchestra with women’s chorus to be premiered at the 2022 National Women’s Music Festival (NWMF). NWMF Orchestra Music Director and Conductor Nan Washburn said of Cara’s submission: “Not only was her skill and creativity quite evident in the way she set the song texts, but it was also apparent in her delightfully inventive use of rhythms and tight harmonies.” Cara is an alumna of the Young Musicians Program (YMP), and currently serves as a YMP faculty member and Academic Dean.

Sky Macklay awarded Columbia Institute fellowship

Sky Macklay has been awarded a fellowship at the Columbia Institute for Ideas and Imagination in Paris. The Institute for Ideas and Imagination “[brings] together faculty from across Columbia University with thinkers, poets, artists, and composers from around the world in a year-long dialogue. The Institute aims to encourage connections between the analytic and the creative imagination.” Sky is one of 15 fellows who will be in residence in Paris beginning in January 2021. Sky is a Walden alumna and longtime faculty member, and teaches at Valparaiso University.

Ash Paris-Carter publishes article on vocal soundscapes and choirs 

Ash Paris-Carter recently published an article on tonitruale.com, entitled “Organized in Time: Vocal Soundscapes and Choirs.” tonitruale.com is an online community primarily based on music and fashion. The article includes reflections on specific vocal pieces, and you can read the post here. Ash has attended the Young Musicians Program for six summers.

Amirah Stewart graduates with degrees in Education and Music

Amirah Stewart recently graduated from Hunter College in New York City with two bachelors degrees–one in Education and one in Music. Amirah was a student at the Young Musicians Program for four summers. Congratulations, Amirah!

In Memoriam

Peter Krag

The Walden community is grieving the loss of Peter Krag, who died on May 22, 2020. Peter spent 8 summers at the Young Musicians Program, and his brother Chris also attended YMP for a number of summers. Peter was a gentle, creative, kind soul, and an incredible musician. Plans for a memorial service are in progress. The entire Walden community sends our condolences to Peter’s parents, Jesusa and David, Chris, and all of Peter’s loved ones.

Jerry Maddox

We are saddened by the loss of Jerry Maddox, who passed away in December 2019 at the age of 77. Jerry was an alumnus of the Junior Conservatory Camp and a longtime supporter of Walden. He taught for many years at the Cleveland Music School Settlement, and was an accompanist for the Cleveland Singers’ Club. A memorial service was held on March 7, 2020, in Bedford, Ohio. We send our condolences to Jerry’s many friends and family.

We want to hear from you!
What’s been going on? If you have a recent or upcoming premiere, publication, award, new job or program, or a celebratory life event, please share the news. Email your news to alumni@waldenschool.org.

Stay in Touch
You can like The Walden School page on Facebook and join The Walden School private group to hear about events and opportunities throughout the year, including upcoming regional alumni Composers Forums and Holiday Parties. You can also find us on Instagram, Twitter, and at waldenschool.org.

by Noah Mlotek

eNews: InterNetzo – April 2020

Message from Seth Brenzel, Executive Director

Dear friend,

I hope you will enjoy the April edition of InterNetzo. We have an online benefit concert coming up on Saturday, May 2, featuring violinist Josh Modney. Learn more about how you can attend and support Walden in the Community Events section.

We are accepting applications for our Summer 2020 Young Musicians Program and Creative Musicians Retreat; our final application deadline is Friday, May 1. We continue to plan for our summer in New Hampshire, and we are monitoring information from various camp, health, and governmental resources as we discern the best path forward. For more information, please visit this page on our website.

Be sure to check out our "In the Spotlight" section to hear from Rosemarie Greenwald, parent of alumnus Mark Greenwald and longtime Walden supporter.

In this difficult time, I send you my best wishes for health and peace.

Sincerely,
Seth

by Noah Mlotek

eNews: InterNetzo – March 2020

Message from Seth Brenzel, Executive Director

Dear Walden community members,

I hope you will enjoy the March issue of InterNetzo. As there is so much uncertainty in this challenging time, we hope that our monthly communication to the Walden community will help maintain a sense of constancy in our disrupted world. Know, too, that we are still planning for summer and imagining being together again in Dublin, New Hampshire. If you missed my message from Friday, March 20, you can read it here.

We are accepting applications for our Summer 2020 Young Musicians Program and Creative Musicians Retreat; our Spring application deadline is April 3 and our final deadline is May 1.

In this edition of InterNetzo, be sure to check out the "In the Spotlight" section to meet Sammi Stone, our new Director of Operations! Check out our Community News section to see some of the ways people are continuing to find creative community, despite physical distancing.

I send you my best wishes for health and peace during this difficult time.

Best wishes,
Seth

New York celebration on March 7

by Noah Mlotek

eNews: InterNetzo – February 2020

Message from Seth Brenzel, Executive Director

Greetings!

I'm glad to share with you this special February Leap Day edition of InterNetzo. We had a fantastic Alumni Composers Forum in San Francisco, and we are looking forward to delightful events in New York in March and DC in May. We are accepting applications for our Summer 2020 Young Musicians Program and Creative Musicians Retreat; our Spring application deadline is April 3!

We caught up with Walden alumnus and past faculty and staff member Ian Munro--read all about it in our "In the Spotlight" section. Check out our Community News section to learn about your fellow readers and the goings on in their lives and careers throughout the year. I hope to see you at a Walden event soon, and until then, happy reading.

Best wishes,
Seth

Alumni Composers Forum in San Francisco

We had a fantastic Composers Forum in San Francisco on February 22, featuring works 10 wonderful Walden alumni, performed by the brilliant Del Sol String Quartet.

After each piece, the composer took the stage to answer questions from moderator Nathaniel Stookey, a past visiting artist at Walden, as well as audience members.

Our featured composers:

Bob Bassett
Brett Eastman
Joaquin Feliciano
Evan Ghislin
John Ivers
Lukáš Janata
Emil Margolis
Nathan Nokes
Samara Rice
Sarah Rose Stiles

Center for New Music co-presented the event, and special thanks to Brett Eastman for recording all the pieces.

by Noah Mlotek