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Reflections on Music and NatureAuthor: Ryan Suleiman
What does it mean for one's music to be inspired or informed by nature? How do musicians engage with nature in their own work? What does this word nature even mean? In this interview series, composer Ryan Suleiman (Ph.D.) talks with composers and performers about the role of nature in the work they do generally and asks what the role of artists is in our troubled times. On an aesthetic level, music provides a crucial space for us to reflect on the beauty around us and try to grapple with very deep and sometimes troubling philosophical questions that face us as individuals and as a civilization. Inspired by the heroic contributions of others at the onset of the pandemic in 2020, Ryan hopes that sharing ideas and conversations about how musicians engage with nature will help inspire others to use their skills to help us find a way out of this crisis of our relationship with nature. Visual art by Sakurako Kanemitsu. www.ryansuleiman.com/rmn Language: en Genres: Music, Music Interviews, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Lei Liang: "Great Learning" and Opening the Inner Eyes (composer)
Episode 4
Friday, 2 February, 2024
In Chinese, the word for university (大学) translates literally as "Great Learning." For composer Lei Liang (prof. at UC San Diego), composing at a university means one has the ability to collaborate with and learn from other scholars in vastly different disciplines. The work of Huang Binhong (1865-1955) served as the inspiration for Lei's orchestral work, "A thousand mountains, a million streams." Binhong, having lost his sight later in life, demonstrates how a "handicap" can ultimately become a superpower leading to greater creativity. We also talk about the cicadas of his childhood in Beijing, the role of titles for composers/audiences, and how technology can actually deepen our listening practice, among many other topics. Lei also cautions against the dangers of "jumping on the bandwagon" of trendy labels and political expediency. Want to promote these conversations? Rate the podcast, leave a review, subscribe, and share your thoughts in the YouTube comments where you can watch video :) YouTube: https://youtu.be/fOs8DgtRzLc Lei Liang: https://sites.google.com/site/leiliangcomposer2/ Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP): https://youtu.be/sj3JxTtNsjs?si=kuE9Uesc02imnVNY Lei Lab: https://lei-lab.ucsd.edu/
