Artist Conversations
Founding Director Stephen Miles at an Artist Conversation
Realizing that our concerts include music that will be new to most or all of the audience, we strive to offer plenty of context. In addition to program notes, information on our website, and pre-concert talks (a half-hour before each performance), we have free Artist Conversations the Thursday before each concert at 5:00 p.m., usually in the concert venue. We generally begin these with a brief performance—an excerpt from something that will be in the concert—and then start a discussion with everyone there about their responses to what they just heard and saw. We try to begin experientially so everyone can have a reaction, and later on discuss some of the concepts that the composers or performers are exploring in their music.
Toby Twining Music's Eileen Clark explaining unusual notation in her score
Although the Artist Conversations are guided by NMNC Director Ron Silver they include the performers themselves, so not only can you get a preview of some aspects of the upcoming concert, you can meet the performers, ask them questions, make observations, and get some real insight into how they think, rehearse, approach new pieces, and work in general.
These interactions are truly bi-directional—performers learn from our audience, and vice versa. This dialogic aspect is why we call them "conversations."
Pamela Z demonstrating one of the devices she uses to control sound using hand motions
New Music New College is all about experience and community, and our free Artist Conversations are a great way to expand your experiences and deepen your involvement in the new music community we are building.
This season is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
