Artist Blog
Writings by new and established artists
Featured This Month
Patricia Brennan: MAGIC SQUARE – Composition by numbers
Patricia Brennan discusses her work "Magic Square" and her approach to composition by numbers.
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Frank Carlberg: Some Harmonic Strategies In (Jazz) Composition
Frank Carlberg discusses techniques he uses to open up harmonic possibilities for new works with a particular focus on triads, tetrachods, and other harmonic devices.
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David Caffey: The Jazz Soli: The Arranger’s Solo
David Caffey frames some techniques he uses in soli writing along with giving examples and explaining his decision making process and the origin for the techniques he uses.
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The Archive
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Danny Jonokuchi: Collaboration and Mycelium
Danny Jonokuchi reflects on the process of artistic expansion and how it led to the collaboration for his work Mycelium.
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JC Sanford: Electronic Effects as Orchestration (by a novice)
Editor’s note: At various times throughout my tenure as ISJAC blog curator, and scheduled blogging artist fell through late in the game for any…
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Yuhan Su: Reveal the Second Moon
Yuhan Su discusses works from her upcoming album using electronics, the theme of duality in orchestration, and bringing cultural dualities into musical form.
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John Yao: Points in Time
John Yao talks about the emotional side of arranging your own music, balancing between character and change, and his latest project.
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Elio Villafranca: Tres Aguas – A Retrospective
Working through a brief history of Cuban big band writing, Elio Villafranca discusses the influence of traditional cuban rhythms and more on his writing.
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Zhengtao Pan: Scenery In My Story
Zhengtao Pan: Scenery In My Story Counterpoint writing in modern large jazz ensemble music I recently released my debut jazz orchestra album, “Scenery…
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Brian Shaw: “I’LL LEAVE THAT TO YOU, MR. DETECTIVE” – SOME THOUGHTS ON KENNY WHEELER’S COMPOSITIONAL PROCESS
Brian Shaw discusses Kenny Wheeler’s compositional techniques and history and how that might have inspired writing techniques and his sound.
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Rachel Eckroth: Speaking in Tongues
Last month, a two year collaboration finally came to fruition. My long time friend and colleague, John Hadfield, a phenomenal drummer and percussionist reached…
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Jon Irabagon: A Server Farm’s Worth of Compositional Devices
Jon Irabagon discusses his upcoming album based around AI and talks through his piece Routers and with focus on form and flow.