Free and open to the public!
Social Time: ~7:15PM PST / Presentation begins: 7:30PM PST
Presenter: Steven James
Topic: For my presentation on the Oregon Soundscapes solo piano project, I'll be sharing the history and purpose of these pieces, as well as a score breakdown and share some demonstrative recordings of the individual miniatures to discuss my creative process for crafting the pieces - mainly focusing on the creation of a "soundscape," and the concept of translating literal sounds and atmospheres from nature into musical gestures that exist outside of common-practice piano writing. This will also be a launching point for discussing my ICC project and score call in the next year for Cascadia members to fill Soundscapes Books III and IV, and I want to give members an opportunity to submit some (anonymous) early drafts of potential Soundscape works, which I will review, read through, and give (friendly) comments on during the latter part of the presentation, using this as an opportunity to discuss principles when writing for solo piano, such as unexpected technical difficulties, or opportunities for virtuosity."
Steven
Steven James is a pianist and composer from Eugene, Oregon, where he pursues a wide variety of musical activities, both locally and abroad. As a pianist, he has performed publicly as a soloist in venues in Oregon and Washington, as well as presenting chamber music and new music concerts with organizations like Impulse Ensemble and Cascadia Composers, where he serves as a board member. His music teachers have included pianists Alexandre Dossin and David Riley at the University of Oregon, and composers David Crumb and Zae Munn.
As a composer, Steven has received commissions and performances from a variety of organizations. including the University of Oregon SOMD, Cascadia Composers, Los Tres Musicos, and The Bridge Collective. Steven’s composition style marries enthusiastic adventure and exploration to the nuances and depth of the internal human experience, creating narratives and dramatic effects to explore deep emotions, using either natural or fantastical backdrops as the ‘setting’ for his music.
In addition to performance and composition, Steven teaches private music lessons with the Pavilanis School of Music in downtown Eugene, where he coaches students between the ages of 6 and 66 in the enjoyment and growth of making music. When not pursuing these artistic activities, Steven enjoys exploring nature, writing poems and fantasy, and running a homebrew D&D campaign. All three of these hobbies serve to provide inspiration for his musical composition.