composer, bandleader, performer, video artist (?)
Pictured above: collage of images from Sō Percussion's 2019 Summer Institute, credit Andrea Tafelski. Written below: a retrospective on my self-indulgent summer travels, which began with the institute, led me to dear friends in NYC, and culminated with Bang on a Can's LOUD Weekend. In a bit more detail--my trip began with two weeks at … Continue reading Sō What?
Hi everyone, I write having just returned from sunny Arizona, where I was visiting the NASA Region 2 Conference (no, not that NASA). The weekend was packed with stellar performances: thanks to the hard work of the University of Arizona saxophone studio, I caught works by Biedenbender, Pann, Mellits, Zoulek, and on and on. I also … Continue reading superior cloud days
Hi everyone-- I'm very excited for the month ahead and I hope you'll join me on what promises to be the busiest months yet of my career. There will be four (FOUR!) performances of my tenor saxophone piece and the semester will cap off with the premiere of a new work for orchestra. Read on: … Continue reading Saxophone Saxophone Saxophone
Hello everyone, happy holidays. As the title notes, this semester has been mostly quiet, publically quiet. That's not to say memories haven't been made--Pulitzer-winning chamber choir Roomful of Teeth privately read a new work of mine, a new batch of ducks took the stage for the first time, and I premiered my first solo audio/video work … Continue reading a quiet semester, but with color
Hi everyone! It's a new year--or at least a new school year--and I've just started my MM at the University of Missouri. Hence, the website got a shiny new finish, which includes a now-much-easier-to-navigate media section! In addition to this, Fifth House Ensemble has just released a video of a performance of genealogy I at Constellation … Continue reading new year, new me
It's not often that I get to release multiple projects in a week, and this one is particularly special because I was able to collaborate with my hungry, hungry brother (pictured above--or is that me?). This piece served as our senior honors project at Grand Valley State University--still chuckling that we got away with that … Continue reading Behold this compost! behold it well.
I'm delighted to finally release this audio from a session with two of the commissioners, Anna Petrenko and Lindsay Myers. I've spent a dreadful amount of time staring at Finale and Word recently, so it was particularly refreshing to reminisce about this very collaborative project. This piece simply could not have existed without Bill Ryan and … Continue reading wicked problems
Tom Huizenga (NPR First Listen) described it "in terms of its arresting atmospherics... a high point for Ryan, his ensemble and former students," FFO: "Max Richter, Daniel Wohl, Hauschka and the remarkable Jacaszek." Peter van Cooten (ambientblog.net), "a stunning set of compositions... A fusion of two worlds coming together in an exceptional way." Adam Cuthbért, Daniel Rhode, and Matt Finch /return/ to … Continue reading RETURN
Hello, sorry. Turns out applying to grad school is a lot of work. Who knew? The Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble rips a preview of their collaborative CD with collective slashsound at Strange Beautiful Music X in Detroit this weekend; 4pm Saturday. In celebration of the new music marathon's decennial, the concert is … Continue reading Sounds of the Summer/Sounds in Detroit
This weekend, I finally released the recordings of my collection of songs, Waiting for Niko. The four tracks were composed, arranged, rehearsed, performed, and recorded for my senior project at Grand Valley State. The works are particularly meaningful to me because of the countless hours that my very musical friends Ryan, Liz, Nic, and Gabe put … Continue reading Waiting for Niko
Niko D. Schroeder 