 WALTMANSEARLY AND CONTEMPORARY MUSIC |
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JAMES SPROUL (US) Aesthetic ideas are often a difficult subject to express, as they are constantly changing, growing and some times even turning in the complete opposite direction and starting from scratch. However, over the years James has gone through many styles of composition from stream of conscious to using 12-tone rows to free improvisation. Most recently James has begun to explore ideas of freedom (through either free improvisation or freedom of tempo etc...) within rigidity. Allowing players, at given moments within the piece, to play outside of time, while still allowing the other players to play inside of a very strict tempo, often a very strict and constant pulse rhythm. Although the pulse rhythm can, at times, feel minimalist it is not intended to express those philosophies, it is merely the most concrete way of obtaining a strict and constant pulse to play freely over. James has also begun to explore various possibilities of a more horizontal (or temporal) harmonic language rather than a vertical, more traditional harmony, incorporating these ideas into the ebb and flow of rigidity and freedom. This allows a certain amount of play with the musical ideas of harmonic structure, temporal structure, and even the fundamental structure (form) of the piece, often allowing the formal aspects to be almost biological in the way they change constantly within the piece to say nothing of from performance to performance. James does not feel a pull in any one direction compositionally, but simply utilizes the tools that he has learned so far to allow himself to be able, and have the versatility, to write whatever the occasion, or his mood, calls for. JAMES SPROUL attended Bakersfield College out of high school where he studied composition, theory and piano with Dr. John Gerhold, who introduced James to the art of composition. James then attended California State University, Bakerfield where he studied composition, theory and 20th century history with Dr Doug Davis and trumpet with Charles Brady. He received his BA in music composition with a minor in philosophy in 2005 graduating magna cum laude as a member of Alpha Chi National Honors society, also earning the music department's outstanding graduating senior award. He then went on to get his Master of Music in Composition from Oklahoma City University’s Wanda L. Bass School of Music studying composition with Dr. Edward Knight and music theory with Dr. Ildar Khannanov. James has participated in master classes with, among others, Jack Stamp, Ovid Young, David Maslanka, Laura Schwendinger, Jesse Ayers, Jack Gallagher, Stephen Gryc, Sujin Nam and Sy Brandon. Most recently James was commissioned by the 2nd Annual San Francisco Chamber Winds Festival to be performed by their resident ensemble Chamber Mix. This piece was Metempsychosis and was well received at the festival. James has been the recipient of many music and academic scholarships throughout his college career and has won or placed in the Bakersfield Symphony New Directions Composition Contest three times. More info and audio on www.jamessproul.com |
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