Opus 157 - "Here, Bullet"

Explicit content warning

07/20/22 • 115 min

Inspired by the viscerally provocative poem, "Here, Bullet" by Brian Turner, the art song of the same name by composer Kurt Erickson is, among many things, a plea for western classical arts spaces to directly address gun violence. This composition inspired multi-disciplinary artist Will Chase to write a screenplay, which will be the foundation for an upcoming short film. Both Kurt and Will join Garrett (1:02:00) to unpack the inspirations and challenges of this work, along with its context within the framework of "classical" music. Scott highlights a work by Phillip Glass and cites excerpts from "Stuff White People Like", Garrett addresses opera's latest use of blackface, and the guys talk "big steps" in the finale. Playlist: Jackson 5 - "Never Can Say Goodbye" Gil Scott-Heron - "Whitey On the Moon" The Church - "Under The Milky Way" Abel Selaocoe - "Qhawe" (Performance Excerpt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhFgeNW6D1g) perf. Angel Blue - "Peculiar Grace" (from "Fire Shut Up In My Bones": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsmXYt9C4UA) Phillip Glass - "Sons Of The Silent Age" Supaman - Improv Freestyle (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PTuf2E8hl8) Kurt Erickson - "Here, Bullet" John Coltrane - "Giant Steps" More: Kurt Erickson/"Here, Bullet": https://www.kurterickson.com/catalogue/here-bullet "Here, Bullet", by Brian Turner: https://www.poetryinternational.com/en/poets-poems/poems/poem/103-14245_HERE-BULLET "How the murder of George Floyd impacted music-making in Minneapolis and across the globe": https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/george-floyd-murder-music-making-minneapolis/ "Soprano Withdraws From Opera, Citing ‘Blackface’ in Netrebko’s ‘Aida’": https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/15/arts/music/angel-blue-anna-netrebko-blackface.html "Stuff White People Like": https://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com

Previous Episode

Opus 156 - "Leading with Compassion"

Kelly Hall-Tompkins is a professional violinist and multi-disciplinary entrepreneur whose love for music, coupled with her grandmother's loving spirit, inspired Music Kitchen: the pioneer organization to bring top classical music artists in concert into homeless shelters. Kelly talks with Garrett (1:02:00) about Music Kitchen's origins, the impact it's had on patrons, and how we all can change the world by leading with compassion. Scott celebrates Maestro Jeri Lynn Johnson and Joe Rainey, Garrett highlights the music of Reena Esmail and Flutronix, and the guys unpack the week in news, social media, and advocacy. Playlist: Joe Raposo - "The Electric Company" Theme Gracie's Corner - "Counting Coins" Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 2 "Finale" Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals - "In The Colors" Joe Rainey - "bezhigo" Reena Esmail - Charukeshi bandish Ofra Haza/Eden Riegel - "Deliver Us" perf. Kelly Hall-Tompkins & Mark O'Connor - Double Violin Concerto (Mark O'Connor): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwONXB2Ke-k Kamala Sankaram - "Hooking In" (Music Kitchen Virtual Premiere and Behind the Scenes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABrA0QXY5EI) Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - "Candy Candy" (perf. Flutronix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMUjsbh13o8) More: Music Kitchen: http://www.musickitchennyc.org/about.htm Jeri Lynne Johnson Featured on MSNBC: https://www.msnbc.com/know-your-value/career-growth/she-was-told-she-didn-t-look-maestro-so-conductor-n1296979 Racial Acoustics: https://between.substack.com/p/racial-acoustics?sd=pf Ohio lawmaker wants to teach the Holocaust ‘from the perspective of the Nazis': https://www.jpost.com/international/article-702341 Nathalie Joachim Speaks: https://twitter.com/NathalieJoachim/status/1545766497326333952?s=20&t=ZyENI_TTB1-k5J5uM6zmpw

Next Episode

Opus 158 - "We Love You, Brother"

Pulitzer Prize-winner Jennifer Higdon is one of America's busiest composers, and her catalogue is even more vast than many people realize. She joins Garrett (49:00) to talk about the Pulitzer win, her late brother, and the influence of East Tennessee on her musical identity. Scott unpacks "The Price of Luck" and highlights a one-man band; Garrett celebrates Tower of Power and offers a critical look on a historic conductor hire, and the guys spend the finale raising awareness about the potential connections between shows of equity and white supremacist organizations. Playlist: MFSB - "The Sound of Philadelphia" Bootsy Collins & Friends - "We're Gonna Party Today" Aidan Ramsay - "Five Dreamscapes" for solo piano Gustav Holst - 'Mars' from "The Planets" (perf. Seattle Symphony/Jonathon Heyward: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hZa3nZCxJo) Tower of Power - "Some Days Were Meant For Rain" Josh Dion - Studio Live Session Jennifer Higdon - "Dark Wood" Jennifer Higdon - 'Roaring Smokies' from "Concerto 4-3" perf. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong More: Jennifer Higdon: http://jenniferhigdon.com The Price of Luck: https://van-magazine.com/mag/classism-in-classical-music/ Five Things to Know About Jonathon Heyward: https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/five-things-to-know-about-jonathon-heyward-the-bso-e2-80-99s-newly-appointed-music-director/ar-AAZR3M6?fbclid=IwAR2bbCUm0qI7L9Pj-CEx-OOm9PvtJaLWnDrCFm6diICHax3bEhJrtyBCZrk American Renaissance: https://www.amren.com/about/