Where did the idea of making music that sounds electronic using acoustic instruments come from?
I guess it came from the fact that I’ve listened to a lot of electronic music and incorporated actual electronics into my orchestral pieces. I just got to the point where it had been a while since I had taken on the orchestra without that electronic element present and I thought it would be really interesting to try. I don’t always have to have electronics in a piece–even if it’s involved in a conceptual way. This particular piece does have this concept that I mentioned in emulating the kind of dry clicks and off-kilter rhythms that you find in some kinds of obscure electrionica. I love having that kind of conceptual framework for a piece. What was your experience in the Young American Composer In Residence (YCAR) project like? It’s such an unusual program. Barry Jekowsky, the conductor, has made it California Symphony’s mission to have an American piece in every concert. That’s not the easiest thing to do–seeing as how classical music was originally a European art form–but it’s pos
