In January (2015) I began a zero-to-sixty transition from full-time computer scientist to composer. The next stage in the process begins in September (2015), where I have been accepted as a student at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in their Technology and Applied Composition program. Their Professional Studies Diploma [PSD] is a non-degree, full-time “post-graduate program” that runs one academic year. (I guess I don’t really need more degrees — just want to learn how to do more stuff.)
You can find my recent in-progress work online and I will update this frequently. You can work “upward” from that link to find other works from the recent past. I am currently writing a three-part suite with the working name “Flight” and there is one excerpt online. A second three-part suite, which is yet untitled, is represented as well. All are works-in-progress.
During this time I will continue to support cyberspark.net efforts in human rights and free speech, and a limited number of Red7 clients.
A pivotal event during the transition was the New Music Gathering which was hosted at SFCM in January 2015. I wrote a short article about the gathering in January.
Jim, I just received a copy of your email exchange with my old friend Mel Schwartz. He didn’t mention that you were out here in the SF area. Good luck in your pursuit of music composition. I’ll check out your works in progress.
I wanted to mention Other Minds, a wonderful new-music venue and supporter in San Francisco. My main listening is to classical that’s been around a while, but I’ve attended several concerts put on by Other Minds as well. I think I’m pretty open to 20th/21st Century music (at least much more so than most of my friends.)
Please feel free to respond directly to my email. I’m pleased that you bought a copy of Mindclone, and hope, when you get around to reading it, that you’ll post a review on the Amazon site. I don’t know if Mel mentioned this, but there’s a fair amount of classical music in the book. (One of the main characters is a cellist in a string quartet.) –Dave
OtherMinds can be found online at http://otherminds.org/
Good luck as you embark on your new career.