Category: acoustic music

String Quartet (2018–2022)

On By milleronthebassIn acoustic music, new musicLeave a comment

I sketched this piece in the summer of 2018, then set it aside to work on other pieces (with deadlines and performances lined up!). Earlier this year I had the opportunity to present a string quartet on a concert at Hunter College and had an amazing experience working on this piece with the quartet:

Pala Garcia, violin

Leah Asher, violin

Wendy Richman, viola

Michael Nicolas, cello

This quartet begins by providing a glimpse of three distinct musical ideas. They seem totally unrelated, but the music seeks to confound this initial expectation. Related textural contrasts are developed between dialogical textures and the quartet speaking as one voice. The pitch material combines just intonation with twelve tone equal temperament.

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“…washed out to sea” – for solo double bass

On By milleronthebassIn acoustic music, music, new musicLeave a comment

This work was inspired by an erasure poem I created collaboratively for a class project in April. After thinking about what I wanted to do musically for about a week, I picked up the bass and essentially just improvised. I recorded in one take (well, okay there was a false start that I’m not counting!) and then cut out and discarded large chunks, crafting the final piece. There are no added effects or processing except just a little sprinkling of reverb. This process of recording myself improvising or working out material is entirely new to me. It worked for this piece and it just might be sneaking its way into my process. For now, please enjoy the recording … I need to go and write this down somehow…

“…washed out to sea” was composed, performed, and recorded by Scott A Miller II

Special thanks to Stefan Reichtenstein, an insightful collaborator, gifted photographer, and all-around cool guy for working with me to create the inspiration for this piece. Cheers!

Artifact – for soprano, recorder, guitar, violin, and viola da gamba

On By milleronthebassIn acoustic music, music, new musicLeave a comment

World premier recording by Lisa Perry, Aik Shin Tan, Jeremy Lyons, Mark Erickson, and Niccolo Seligmann. Live at the Walter’s Art Museum in Baltimore. Text by the composer.

 

Timeless turned-over artifact

Personifying masterworks.

Ancient, looking forward,

Back through.

 

Timeless, ancient,

Turned-over looking

Artifact. Forward,

Personifying back through

Masterworks.

 

Ancient, looking forward,

Back through timeless,

Turned-over artifact,

Personifying masterworks.

 

(text by the composer)