Composer-In-Residence: Rand Steiger

Artist Page   Composers In Residence

Rand Steiger was a Jack Straw composer-in-residence in 1998 for the fist installment of Jack Straw’s Music in Motion, an innovative new program that combines new music, the Internet and outreach activities.

During his residency, Rand Steiger composed an 18 minute piece named Frame(s), a solo percussion, with amplified ensemble: flute, bass clarinet, piano, violin, cello, and electric bass with Amy Knoles and the California EAR Unit. After an initial rehearsal period, they recorded a number of segments that demonstrate the types of compositional techniques used in Frame(s). Using identical source material, called “modes,” the ensemble experimented with different types of performance behaviors as prescribed by the composer.

On Sunday March 2, 1998, Steiger and members of the EAR Unit gave a short lecture at the downtown branch of the Seattle Public Library in their newly equipped computer resource room. Steiger covered a variety of topics surrounding the use of the internet for the creation of music and demonstrated how plug-ins such as Beatnik and RealAudio are used. He then talked briefly about his new piece before answering questions from the audience. Next day on Monday, March 2, 1998, Rand and the California EAR Unit gave a lecture and demonstration at the Henry Art Gallery on the Campus of the University of Washington for an audience of about seventy people. Steiger provided some background information about the VirtualConcert and the Music In Motion project, and then moved into an explanation of Frame(s). After a few demonstrations of techniques that would be used in the performance of the piece, the event ended with EAR Unit performing a ten-minute version of Frame(s).

Meet Our Other Composers in Residence

Janice Giteck READ MORE >

Jovino Santos Neto READ MORE >

Obo Addy & Julian Priester READ MORE >

Wayne Horvitz READ MORE >