Singing City In the Schools reflects Singing City's enduring dedication to enhancing the quality of music education in the Philadelphia public schools by fostering the acquisition of choral skills among children who will become tomorrow's audience members and performers.
Interview with Andrew Bleckner, SCIS Composer in Residence

1) When did you start composing music and how did you get into composition?

I started composing during college at Brown University. I played clarinet growing up, and I always had the desire to learn how music was put together. My family did not own a piano, so in college I began studying piano and music theory.

2) What attracted you to Singing City in the Schools?

What attracted me to SCIS, and continues to attract me, is the opportunity to interact with students in a creative musical context.

3) Have you worked much with young composers and performers?

I have worked a great deal with young musicians and performers in a wide variety of settings. For example, I taught private composition lessons as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at Susquehanna University. I also taught drumming and musical creativity in the elementary schools in Virginia Beach as part of a Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Grant. Most recently, along with my work with SCIS this year, I led workshops on musical creativity at Greene Street Friends School and Saint Peter's School as part of a grant from the American Composers Forum.

4) Have you written much choral music?

I would say the majority of music I have written over the past 5 years is choral. I have about 8 works for choir, but some of these are multimovement works with anywhere from 3 to 7 movements. My greatest preoccupation as a choral composer has been with sacred Jewish texts, such as Psalms and prayers; I have choral settings of Psalms 42, 77, 96, and 150. I am also a percussion player, and I frequently combine choir with percussion. For example, my setting of Psalm 150 is scored for mixed choir and percussion ensemble (5 players).

5) What have you gained by your work with young composers?

I am the type of composer who is inspired by other artists and other mediums. Speaking generally, working with young composers allows me the opportunity to open my ears, mind, and heart to the world of another individual. Oftentimes, this is an inspiring, energizing experience. One of the things that surprised me about my work with SCIS this year is the profound way the experience influenced my development as a composer. During my first residency at the Mifflin school, I was incredibly creatively energized; I found myself immersed in a delightful world of humorous, tender, exciting and "un-self-conscious" songs. I entered a creative zone, composing at a prolific rate of 2 or 3 songs per day. If the pleasure one takes in creating new songs or compositions is directly related to their degree of artistic merit, then the songs I helped create during my SCIS residency this past year are among the best music I have ever written.

6) Do you think classical music has a bright future?

Well, this question is a complicated one as it hinges upon profound issues in our society and culture. For the sake of brevity, I would say I am ultimately an optimist, and that yes, I see a very bright future where new music is created which speaks in a vibrant, and compelling way to audiences of all ages. Organizations such as Singing City in particular add to my optimism. I am delighted to be associated with an institution that advocates the creation of new music at so many levels, and in so many ways. Furthermore, I believe the future of new music does not rest in academia, where many composers receive their training, but rather with artists who have the ability to speak with a more folk or popular sensibility -- artists who are able to unite people through music (SC mission statement). Regarding your question, when I hear the phrase "classical music", I think of Mozart and Beethoven. I am not sure how to refer to the new music being composed today by people such as myself with "classical" training.

7) What do you think music's place is in today's fast-paced society?

I believe the greatest "problem" music faces in our society is that it has been so commodified, and therefore placed at a distance from many peoples lives. In indigenous cultures, everyone is actively involved in musicmaking. In our culture, many people's connection with music is more passive: they purchase music, and listen to it on their computer, radio, or CD player. There is nothing wrong with this per se, but what is missing is the more active involvement of the creation of music, such as singing in a choir or religious service, playing or improvising new music on the piano,etc. This is why SCIS is so important, and also why SC's mission statement of uniting people through music is so relevent. The fact that our society is so "fast-paced" is of course both a blessing and a curse. On the positive side, computers have revolutionized how music is composed and produced, and the internet is making music more easily and widely available. On the negative side, we suffer from too much information, and we are inclined to multitask, and only focus on one thing for a short period of time. What is still universal in our time is that music is the medium which can speak with the most immediacy to our emotions. And great music still has the power to connect us with our higher, spiritual selves.

8) What kinds of other music (non-classical) do you like?

My listening tastes are so eclectic! In particular, I love world music and sacred world music such as Ladysmith Black Mumbazo, Violette Para, and Krishna Das. I also enjoy pop music ranging from John Mayer to Tori Amos to Sting and the Police; folk music such as Joni Mitchell, Pete Seeger, Lucy Kaplansky; and soundtracks from musicals and movies.