王曉嵐 Hsiao-Lan Wang
Posts Tagged MSU
Electric Monster Pre China Tour Concert
Posted by hlwang in conducting, events, teaching on 04/23/2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Time: 7:30pm – 8:30pm
Location: Reynolds Recital Hall. Montana State University
Electric Monster Laptop Ensemble is going to China!
This concert precedes our tour of Beijing, China, which will be from May 14-26, 2010. Electric Monster will be the first laptop ensemble to visit Beijing, where we will interact with professional Chinese musicians with joint performances and presentation.
Several talented instrumentalists performed with us to present a program that embraces music of today.
Program:
“SoundCloud” by Hsiao-Lan Wang
“RadioGamelan” by Greg Surges
“I will Play the Swan and Die in Music” by Elizabeth Hinkle-Turner
Will Hartley, trombone
“Awake” by Daniel Zajicek
“Static Forests” by Chapman Welch
Kelley Barnett, flute; Trevor Ostenson, violin; Stephan Gueguen, marimba
“WaveDrag” by the Electric Monster based on Jeff Morris’ Max patch
Kent Johnson, guitar
Debut Concert, Electric Monster Laptop Ensemble
Time: Friday 12/04/2009, 7:30 PM
Location: Reynolds Recital Hall, Montana State University
Free admission
What exactly does a laptop ensemble sound like? How can people get together to make music on their laptops? The answer is: it can be pretty much anything you want it to be. Come experience the latest sensation in music technology with the Electric Monster Laptop Ensemble. In our premiere performance, Electric Monster will be joined by talented musicians from the Montana State University, Department of Music.
Coming of age at the turn of the 21st century, laptops, with their ease in mobility and connectivity, have revolutionized the way music is made. Taking full advantage of the laptop’s plasticity, the Electric Monster Laptop Ensemble is currently playing pieces written in the programming languages Max/MSP, PureData, Java, Flash, and PowerPoint (you heard that right!). Unlike compositions written for more traditional instruments, the members of the ensemble contribute musical ideas to each composition. In addition, the synchronization of each laptop sometimes relies on a wireless network, while other times it relies on old-fashioned ears and eyes. Because laptop ensembles are technologically intense, the musical compositions tend to call for improvisation as a way to balance the demand that the technology requires.
The Electric Monster Laptop Ensemble is the premiere laptop ensemble at Montana State University. Founded by professor Hsiao-Lan Wang in fall 2009, it brings together the tradition of ensemble music playing and the computational power of the latest laptops at the crossroads of human-machine performative experience. Electric Monster actively commissions new pieces written specifically for the ensemble. This Friday, you will hear three world premieres of commissions from the Electric Monster Laptop Ensemble.
Concert Program
Five Pieces for Laptop Quartet by Adam Scott Neal
“Presets” & “Baffin Bay”
OM (premiere) by Kyong Mee Choi
Spider Fugue by Freed Hartmann
Hsiao-Lan Wang, piano; Kent Johnson, inside piano
Clean Slate (premiere) by Cole Ingraham
Solid State by Greg Surges
Lissette Norman, flute
Wind Farm (premiere) by John Gibson
joined by Will Hartley and Zac Wallace
WaveDrag by Jeff Morris
Patrick McCann, electric guitar
Electric Monster Laptop Ensemble
Hsiao-Lan Wang, director
Clayton DeSimone
Justin Gannon
Stephan Gueguen
Kent Johnson
Theo Lipfert
Patrick McCann
Lissette Norman
Peaks and Potentials Summer Workshop
I have been asked to teach a summer workshop called the Peaks and Potentials at Montana State University. It is designed for high potential 5th-7th grade students. I have always enjoyed working with younger students to help them learn the art of music performance, creativity, and appreciation. Just consider the impact of educating the next generation of musicians and music lovers among us. Montana is a relatively isolated place where contemporary arts do not typically find their way into the general population. I decided to offer a workshop on sound design for visual media. This topic could be interpreted in various ways: it could mean more conventional foley effects for film or venture into experimental video art. It is going to be a rewarding experience for all involved.
Workshop dates: 06/22-26/2009
Teaching and Learning – a reflective moment
Being a music professor is one of my dreams all these years. Now I have a chance to live this dream. Let me explain: The social status (or the lack of) and financial stability that come with the position is of less of a concern. I dreamed of being able to learn through teaching, and share my excitement for knowledge, creativity, and beauty with my students. When I was still in school, I always got very excited when semesters were about to begin just thinking about all the new beautiful things I will discover soon. Of course learning can be achieved in a variety of ways, not limited to academia. But the benefit of doing it together with others in a structured setting makes all the difference for me. My dear students, I hope you all know how lucky you are to be in school and I am glad I can accompany you in part of this wonderful journey.
Appointment at Montana State University
I have recently accepted the job offer at Montana State University in beautiful Bozeman, Montana, to start in fall 2008. The position is in a rapidly growing music technology program that has seen great success in the past two years under program director Kristi McGarity’s leadership. I am very excited about the new possibilities for my personal growth but I am most excited about being able to learn and research with my future students. Teaching is the best way to learn!
