Expressing my thoughts of the day when I made a failed attempt at stepping off a curb into the path of a moving bus. Alcoholism and addiction will take you places you never dreamed you would end up and force you to believe all is lost and there is no way out. Oh, but there is a way out and that way out leads to a life that's "beyond your wildest dreams."
• Chandler Yu - Violin • Tiffany Chung - Violin • Elizabeth Asher - Viola • Dustin Seo - Cello
Quadre - The Voice of Four Horns - Quadre hosting a conversation with the 2020-2021 season’s commissioned composers: Nina Shekhar and Ben Shirley to learn about their artistic motivation and inspiration for their music for Quadre’s June program, “What is Home?” - Premiere: June 26th, 2021
Last year after COVID started to decimate Wuhan and the world had no idea what was to happen, Bill Karz of The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board asked me to compose a piece of music for the city of Wuhan to show Los Angeles’ support of its people and their struggle against this monster virus. For me, music is the highest form of connection.
I am NOT getting into political conversation here. I am talking about human connection. After the piece was composed, recorded, and filmed, it was suggested we reach out to the Wuhan Conservatory of Music and its students and run an idea by them concerning making this a true collaboration rather than a ballwashing of a "Oh, those poor people…" video. This is the result of our collaboration. - “Wuhan Jia You” God bless us all....
“Brother Burn” - for Clarinet in Bb & Tenor Voice (Anthony McGill, clarinet & Todd Strange, tenor voice)
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra: Anthony, who is the Orchestra’s 2018-19 Shaheen and Anil Nanji Guest Artist-in-Residence, took part of the premiere of composer Ben Shirley’s new work, “Brother Burn”, during his week long visit with LACO. “Brother Burn” was performed October 25, 2018 at The Midnight Mission in DTLA’s skid row as part of a monthly music series hosted by Street Symphony. Anthony McGill and Todd Strange, a tenor with the LA Master Chorale, performed Ben’s work. Ben is the first Composer Fellow for Street Symphony, an organization dedicated to engaging underserved communities experiencing homelessness and incarceration in Los Angeles through musical performance and dialogue.
“…how Ben Shirley came to assist Kim Planert on the score to the award winning documentary, “Skid Row Marathon.”
…filing this under, “Why the hell not?” - my old band U.P.O playing “Godless” at Farm Club. That evening we played with Bad Religion, LL Cool J, and Incubus. The next morning we flew out to Portland, OR. to start the Tattoo The Earth Festival. Ah, in another life……