Ph.D.
candidate, Composition, Duke University (ABD; Ph.D. anticipated, fall, 2004)
Dissertation
Composition: Having Once Been for piano, percussion
and string orchestra, 23'
Dissertation Article: "The Voice of
Julia Wolfe's Four Marys"
Abstract:
The opening of Julia Wolfe's Four Marys is striking for its highly
visceral gestures. Wolfe reinforces the physicality of her
work with her evocative tempo marking for the opening, "Breathing,
think accordion", and her program notes are also replete with images
of breath and breathing. Wolfe's references to breath and organicism lend
Four Marys to a musical analysis that connects the work's opening
gestures to her attention to the embodiment of music through performance. Theoretical analyses that take into account
the physicality of performance and considerations of body in composition
open new avenues for feminist analyses of difference in music.
In this paper, I consider the suitability of feminist
theories of body and I draw upon music theorists that look to the body and
subjectivity as analytical models for Wolfe's opening of Four Marys.
I also examine the viability and politics of theorizing the body
as a location of musical difference.
Finally, building on my discussion of this literature, I offer an
analysis of the opening of Four Marys that prioritizes theories and
observations of body, gesture and performance as analytical tools.
Women's
Studies Certificate, Duke University (2004)
Instructional
Technology Certificate, Duke University (2004)
AM,
Composition, Duke University (2001)
BA,
Music, Tufts University (1997)
Anthony
Brandt _Stephen Jaffe _ Anthony Kelley _Scott Lindroth _John McDonald
¬
International Society for Experimental Music, (2004)
¬
Jessi Knight Walker through the Duke University
Dance Program (2003-2004)
¬
Berenice Torres, visual artist (Paper Music Quartet,
2003)
¬
Vassar Mahagonny Ensemble (Paeon, performed
2001)
¬
North Carolina Governor's School Women's Chorus
(Black Mountain Epigrams, 2000)
¬
Joan Tower's 60th Birthday at Tufts University
(LX, 1999)
¬
Princeton Ballet II (Equiponderance, 1998)
Awards
¬
Duke University Summer Research Fellowship (2003)
¬
Artist Residency, Casa Gaia, Patzcuaro, Mexico (summer,
2003)
¬
Aleane Webb Dissertation Award (2003)
¬
William Klenz Prize for Composition, Duke
University (2002)
¬
Selected for Masterclass with Eighth Blackbird (2002)
¬
Composer Residency, North Carolina Governor's
School West (summer 2000)
¬
Duke University Music Department, full fellowship
(1999-2004)
Professional
Affiliations
¬
AMC (American Music Center)
¬
ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and
Publishers)
¬
CMS (College Music Society)
¬
IAWM (The International Alliance for Women in Music)
¬
pulsoptional new music ensemble + composers' collective
¬
SCI (The Society of Composers, Inc.)
Teaching
Experience
¬
Music, Dance and Popular
America (freshman seminar, spring, 2003)
This
writing-intensive seminar examines a wide range of topics including the correlation
between popular rhythmic paradigms and danceability as well as issues of race,
gender, ethnicity and economy that arise in the current between "popular"
and "high" art cultures. Assignments
encourage the development of a critical language for musical discourse.
¬
Introduction to Music
Theory (2001-2002)
Fundamentals
of music theory, including notation, intervals, keys, scales, transposition,
basic harmony, four part writing, analysis and basic keyboard skills. Ear training involved sightsinging, dictation,
and transcription exercises. The
course is intended to prepare music majors for theory coursework and offer
non-music majors the background for further independent study.
¬
Mozart in His Time
(spring, 2001)
A
writing course for non-music majors that explores MozartŐs music in the context
of Enlightenment Vienna. Writing
assignments included the development of a vocabulary for aural analyses and
considerations of Mozart in "our" time.
¬
Theory/Practice of
Tonal Music I - TA and lab instructor (2000, 2003)
The
ear training lab for music majors includes singing intervals and interval
recognition, sightsinging, building and recognizing chords, melodic, harmonic,
multiple part and rhythmic dictations and elementary keyboard skills, including
scales, chord progressions and transposing at the keyboard.
¬
Advanced Theory
(2003-2004) - Instructor
Third
course in a series of theory courses for pre-professional/pre-college students.
Countepoint, part writing, analysis and advanced tonal harmony. Some students use the course as preparation for the music AP
exam.
¬
20th and
21st Century Music (summer, 2002)
This
course for intellectually gifted high school students offered an overview
of 20th and 21st century compositional practice with
an emphasis on chronological continuity and performative traditions, as well
as issues of class, race and gender in contemporary music. Assignments included graduate level readings and responses,
the development of aural analysis skills and individual composition.
Private
Piano, Composition, Theory and Musicianship Studio (1995-present)
Boitoi (2003) for alto saxophone, e. guitar, e. bass, piano and
percussion, performed by pulsoptional at Nelson Music Room, Duke University (2004); JFETC auditorium at
the North Carolina School of Science and Math, Durham, NC (2004)
Pocket (2003) for hardanger fiddle or guitar, written for Dan
Trueman, performed at AmerikaSlatter, St. Olaf College, Minneapolis, MN,
Dan Trueman, fiddle; Nelson Music Room, Duke University, John Mayrose, guitar
(2003)
Renga: John Mayrose, Sloan Hoffmann/Todd
Hershberger, marc faris (2002) for classical guitar,
french horn (or bassoon), and electric guitar and voice, written for pulsoptional,
performed at Chapel Hill Arts 'Round Town festival (2003); Nelson Music Room,
Duke University (2003) all performances by members of pulsoptional;
choreographed and performed by Jessi Knight Walker, Duke University Art Museum
(2003), music from recording with permission from pulsoptional, Sloan
Hoffmann performed by Sloan Hoffmann at the Lamont School of Music, Denver,
CO (2003)
Three Lines: but not yet, until
the whole spring, the very sun (2001-02) written
for John McDonald, performed at El Antiguo Colegio Jesuitica,
Patzcuaro, Mexico and Duke University, Jennifer Fitzgerald, piano (2003);
Central Washington University, John Pickett, pianist (2003); Nelson Music
Room, Duke University (2004), Alumni Hall, Tufts University, John McDonald,
pianist (2003)
Liquid Prisoner (2001) for violin, cello, percussion and piano, reading/demonstration
for Encounters with the Music of Our Time at Baldwin Auditorium,
Duke University (2002)
Paeon (2000) for piccolo, bassoon, two trombones, marimba, vibraphone,
guitar, harpsichord, violin, viola, and double bass, written for the Vassar
Mahagonny Ensemble, premiered at Nelson Music Room, Duke University, Anthony
Kelley, conductor (2000), performed Skinner Recital Hall, Vasser College,
Vassar Mahagonny Ensemble, Nathan Hetherington, conductor (2001)
Black Mountain Epigrams
(2000) written for and performed by the North Carolina
Governor's School Women's Chorus, Leandra Anaf-Shalom, conductor (2000)
Songs of Fear and Repose
(1999) for mezzo, flute, harp and guitar; texts by Wendell
Berry and Sandra Steingraber, performed at Nelson Music Room, Duke University,
Phyllis Tektonidis, mezzo-soprano, Stephen Jaffe, conductor
(2000)
LX [Licks] (1999) for bass clarinet and one piano, four hands, written
for Go Like 60 - Joan Tower's 60th Birthday Concert,
Alumni Hall, Tufts University, John McDonald, Jennifer Fitzgerald, piano,
four hands (1999)
Lyric (1998) for double bass, written for and performed by Robert
Black, bass, Goddard Chapel, Tufts University (1998)
The Sport of the Keyboard
(1998): two sets for the intermediate level pianist, performed
at Alumni Hall, Tufts University, John McDonald, piano (1998); choreographed
by M'Liss Dorrance for Dance Choreolab, Elizabeth Cason, piano (2000)
Three Piano Pieces: Etudish,
For 1 Hand, Either Hand, Sostenuto (1997) performed
for "Tufts Women Composers" concert, Alumni Hall, Tufts University
as part of the "Year of Women in Music" initiative, Jennifer
Fitzgerald, piano, (1997); Tufts Composers, Alumni Hall, Jennifer Fitzgerald,
piano (1997); as part of a full piano recital, Alumni Hall, Jennifer Fitzgerald,
piano (1997)
Selected
Performance Activity
¬
pulsoptional *amplified*,
JFETC Auditorium at the North Carolina School of Science and Math. Duos I/Chasers, John Mayrose/ 1492, Judith
Shatin/ Kidsparkle and the Parliament Prince, Todd Hershberger/
Boitoi, Jennifer Fitzgerald/ 'Stain, Caroline Mallonee/ What
Chaos Received Bounds, marc faris (piano) (April 29, 2004)
¬
The 2003 Durham
Music Festival, Durham, NC.
Kind of in Bb, Todd Hershberger/ Disparity Breeds Ingenuity,
marc faris/ Big 'Fridge, Little 'Fridge, Caroline Mallonee (piano)
(August 29, 2003)
¬
Chapel Hill Arts
'Round Town Festival, Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC. Premiere Bagatelle for piano, marc faris (piano)/
' Stain, Caroline Mallonee (synth) / Renga, Jennifer Fitzgerald (composer) (April 18, 2003)
¬
CSMG at Ringside
in Durham featured on the documentary Fully Awake: The Black Mountain College
Experience. The Tides of Manaunaun and The Banshee, Henry Cowell (piano)/ Treatise, Cornelius Cardew (piano)/ Tunugan,
Sidney Boquiren (piano)* (April 18, 2002; video to be released)
¬
Minimalism?(revisited)
for Encounters: with the Music of Our Time, Nelson Music Room, Duke University. For Cornelius, Alvin Curran (piano)/ My First Homage, Gavin Bryars (keyboard)/ Four
Organs, Steve Reich (midi organ) (March 2, 2002)
¬
Synaesthesia,
the Ark, Duke University. Comprehensivism, Chuck Johnson
(conductor)*, Theater Piece, John Cage (performer) (November 10, 2000)
¬
People Get Prepared,
Nelson Music Room, Duke University.
Sonatas & Interludes, John Cage (prepared piano)/ Amores, John Cage (prepared piano, conductor)/
Tunugan, Sidney Boquiren (piano)* (May, 6, 2002)
* indicates pulsoptional commission
pulsoptional is the recipient of grants from
The Alliance for Improvised Music, The American Music
Center, The
Duke Institute of the Arts, the Durham Arts Council and Duke University's
Graduate Student and Professional Committee.
¬
Recent solo recital:
at El Antiguo Colegio Jesuitica, Patzcuaro, Mexico (2003) including
works by Louis Andriessen, Morton Feldman and Jennifer Fitzgerald
¬
Premiered solo piano
music by Sidney Boquiren, marc faris, Jennifer Fitzgerald, John Mayrose and
John McDonald
¬
Specialty in improvisation-based
new music
Research
Experience
¬
Louise Meintjes, Assistant Professor,
Ethnomusicology (spring, 2004)
Created
detailed transcriptions of South African mbaqanga music.
Edited pending papers for publication.
¬
Robert Ward, Professor
Emeritus, Composition (2000-2003)
Assisted Pulitzer Prize winning composer in the transcription and compilation of his autobiography.
¬
Music Department of Duke University; Music
and Language (February, 2004)
I
am Talking about Performing in a Room: Music, Language and the Space(s) of
Performance
¬
South Central Graduate Music Consortium,
University of Virginia (September, 2003)
Composing a New Music Ensemble in Durham, NC
¬ Duke
University Colloquium Series
(February, 2003)
Composing a New Music Ensemble in Durham, NC
¬
Hip Hop/Global Flows conference at
Duke University
A
Basic Hip-Hop Vocabulary, conference preparation crash course for Duke
faculty and students (January, 2003)
Charting
the Musical Journey, panel (February, 2003)
¬
Goodbye Twentieth Century radio show
on 88.7 WXDU, Durham, NC
Women
Composers (April, 2002)
The
New Minimalism (March, 2002)
Guest
composer/DJ
¬
Dance
Department of Duke University; Diaghilev Ballet
Claude
Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun (spring 2001, fall, 2002)
¬
Talent Identification Program at Duke
University, East Campus
Steve
Reich's Piano Phase and Early Minimalism (summer 2002)
John
Cage's Music and Thought, a Lecture/Demonstration (summers 2000, 2001,
2002)
John Zorn's Cobra, a Lecture/Demonstration (summer 2001)
Gender
and Identity (summer 2001)
Music and Gender: iconography and
representations of women in music and music literature, perceptions of body,
canon(s) scholarship.
Hip-Hop: the relationship of the Western
classical tradition to hip-hop culture, race and Western classical music,
sampling and appropriation discourse.
American Experimental Tradition: extended
instrumental techniques and improvisation including graph scores interpretation, twentieth century performance
practice.
Administrative
and Professional Experience
¬
Adjudicator: Honors Recital, Duke
University Music Department (2004)
¬
Co-founder, co-director: pulsoptional (formerly
CSMG) new music ensemble and composers' collective; grant and proposal writer,
primary administrator and librarian, website designer and webmaster, concert
promotion and management
¬
Liaison for radio station and local composers: Goodbye
Twentieth Century on WXDU; helped initiate and design format for weekly
Durham, NC "new music" show
¬
Coordinator: Fundamentals of Music Theory
course at Duke University; trained new instructors and oversaw administration
of three sections (fall, 2002)
¬
Committee on Popular Music, Duke University
Music Department (2003)
¬
Hip Hop/Global Flows Interdisciplinary Committee,
Duke University (2003)
¬
Lecture Series, Student Advisory Committee,
Duke University Music Department (2003-2003)
¬
Student Accounts, New England Conservatory
Extension School; managed all accounts for preparatory and extension school
(1997-1999)