May 11, 2021 by AFremont - 0 comments

New Music Gathering 2021

Patrick Grant: “I’m thrilled to be a part of this year’s New Music Gathering taking place in Minneapolis and online this August! I’ll be creating a recorded collaborative composition called Cloudy Water Conflux. More details to come. In the meantime, wow, what a stellar group of participants!!!” – #NMG2021

New Music Gathering: “We’re so excited to announce the amazing music makers and shakers who will present their sounds and ideas at the 2021 New Music Gathering! While we’re still hammering out the details of which bits will happen when and where and how to ensure maximum community access, joy, and safety, we didn’t want to wait anymore to share this news with you!”

Participant Line-up: 10th Wave Chamber Music Collective, 113 Composers Collective, 5th Wave Collective, Aaron Kerr, Aaron Larget-Caplan, Aaron Trant, Adam Marks, Adam Schumaker, AEON Ensemble, ÆPEX Contemporary Performance, Al Cerulo, Albatross, Alex Burtzos, Alexa Dexa, An-Laurence Higgins, Ana Macho, Andrea Mazzariello, Andrew Hosler, Anna Wilkens-Reed, Anne Leilehua Lanzilotti, Asia Mieleszko, Ben Phelps, Ben Roidl-Ward, Alexandra Smither, Bergamot Quartet, Bitches Set Traps, BlackBox Ensemble, Brian Mark, Calliope Duo (USA), Caroline Sackleh, Cecilia Suhr, Cereal Music, ChamberQUEER, Chris Whyte, JL Marlor & Aiden Feltcamp & Lisa Neher, Christopher Nichols, Ciyadh Wells, COULTER HAMILTON, Dana Jessen, Danielle Buonaiuto, Darragh Morgan, Dave O Mahony, Dilate Ensemble, Dorian Wallace, Duo Charango, Duo Extreme, Dylan A. Marcheschi, Edwin Joseph, Eli Trakhtenberg & Danielle McPhatter, Elisabeth Halliday-Quan, Ensemble Decipher, Evan Tucker, Flauto d’Amore Project, Gamin Kang, Garrett Schumann, Girlnoise, Go Compose North America, Golden Hornet, Greg Nahabedian, Gregory Oakes, Hassan Estakhrian, Heather Barringer, ICEBERG New Music, INPUT/OUTPUT, Isidora Nojkovic, Jake Adams, James parker, Jess, Tsang, John Dorhauer, John Mackey, Jonathan Russell, José Martínez, Joseph Bohigian, Julia Lougheed, Ka Hei Cheng, Kaley Lane Eaton, Kallie Sugatski, Katy Henriksen & Alley Stoughton, Kincaid Rabb, Kinds of Kings, Kirin McElwain, Kirsten Volness, Kyle Hutchins, Kyra Davies, Ledah Finck, Sarah Thomas, Amy Tan, Irene Han, Leonard Bopp, Leslee Smucker, Loretta Notareschi, Luisa Muhr, Magdalena Abrego, Margaret Schedel, Marianne Parker, Mary Prescott, Melody Loveless, Michael Maiorana, Michael Roth, Midnight Oil Collective, Nathan Hudson New Arts Collaboration, New Downbeat, New Music Organizing Caucus, Nicholas Shaheed, Oberlin Arts and Sciences Orchestra, Orbit Duo, Patrick Grant, Patti Kilroy, Paul Safar, Penny Brandt, Portland Percussion Group, Primary Duo, Pushback Collective, Rachel Mangold, Morgan Schoonover, Clara (Da) Yang, Reed Puleo, Rhymes With Opera, Robert Laidlow, Ron Coulter, Ron Silver, Ruby Fulton, Rusty Banks, Ryan McMasters, Ryne Siesky, Samn Johnson & Sasha Kaoru Zamler-Carhart, Sara Noble, Sarah Bob, Sarah R. Alexander, scrubdaddy, Seth Cluett, Shannon Wettstein, Sidney San Martín, Sonya Knussen, Splinter Reeds, Stephanie Ann Boyd, Strange Trace, Tesselat, The Achelois, Collective, The Arc Project, The Cotton Comes Home Series, Paul Safar and Marc Egea, The Pathless Woods, The Sonoglyph Collective, Thiago Ancelmo, Tierra de Mar Music, Tiffany Chang, Tiffany Skidmore, Ting Luo, Weily Grina-Shay, Women’s Labor, Zach Sheets, Zack Baltich and Ilan Blanck, Zeitgeist, and Zoe Sorrell

May 10, 2021 by AFremont - 0 comments

PG Receives NYU Award for Tilted Axes

“I am honored to find out today that I received a 2020-2021 cash award from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. The award, from the Adjunct Professional Development Grant Award Fund, is to further develop my work via Remote Recording Workshops in the composition, performance, and public engagement of our mobile electric guitar project Tilted Axes for its 10th anniversary.

The created work will be used to address community concerns (i.e. the use of public spaces), global concerns (i.e. climate change and renewable energy), and future concerns (i.e. space exploration and unforeseen discoveries). Above all, it’s about connecting as humans, creating music together, and moving it out into the world.”

Patrick Grant #art #music #science #tiltedaxes

August 5, 2019 by Jocelyn - 0 comments

Alternative Nation: Grant Receives 3 Grammy Entries

AltNat

“Last year, Alternative Nation praised composer-guitarist Patrick Grant’s album, Fields Amaze and other sTRANGE music. And it turns out that the applause was indeed well deserved, as the album has three entries in the running for selection for the 62nd Grammy Awards taking place January 2020 – Best Contemporary Instrumental Album (for Fields Amaze), Best Instrumental Composition (for “Keeping Still”), and Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance (for “Imaginary Horror Film – Part 2″).

Described as ‘Unexpected rhythms, outside of the box instrumentation and a completely, uncompromising barrage of artistic individuality’ by Alt Nation’s Joe Hughes, several genres are touched upon concerning Grant’s original style/approach, which blends together instrumental, experimental/avant-garde, prog, jazz, and soundscapes…”

Read the complete article on Alternation Nation HERE: https://www.alternativenation.net/patrick-grant-fields-amaze-receives-three-grammy-entries/

July 21, 2019 by Jocelyn - 0 comments

FIELDS AMAZE Gets Three Entries in the 62nd Grammy Awards®!

JDB-BGRAMMYS

http://www.strangemusic.com/famaze.html

FIELDS AMAZE & Other sTRANGE Music Gets Three Entries in the 62nd Grammy Awards®!

Official entries for your consideration…

1. Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

Fields Amaze and Other sTRANGE Music

2. Best Instrumental Composition

Keeping Still

3. Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

Imaginary Horror Film – Part 2

First Round voting begins Sept. 25

Patrick Grant: piano, keyboards, electric guitars, percussion
John Ferrari: drums & percussion
Kathleen Supove & Marija Ilic: keyboards
David Simons: theremin
Keith Bonner: flute
Thomas P. Oberle: clarinet
Darryl Gregory: trombone
Martha Mooke: viola
Maxine Neumann: cello
Mark Steven Brooks: electric bass
Alexandra Montano: vocalise

All 2018 production, overdubs, revisions, and new stems recorded at Peppergreen Media, NYC and The Ferrari Factory, NJ. Mixed at Mercy Sound Studios, NYC – Garry Rindfuss: mixing engineer – Sheldon Steiger: album mastering – Patrick Grant: producer

January 1, 2019 by Jocelyn - 0 comments

A Very Moving Symphony with Strings and Bells

Originally printed in THE VILLAGER – December, 2018

Angela Babin and other members of the “Tilted Axes” performance group jammed on electric guitars on “Cold Moon Consort” in Sasaki Garden at N.Y.U.’s Washington Square Village, between Bleecker and W. Third Sts. and Mercer St. and LaGuardia Place, before making their way to “The Cube” at Astor Place. Photos by Bob Krasner (L to R: Sean Satin, Angela Babin, Chad Ossman)

BY BOB KRASNER | If you feel the need to simplify composer Patrick Grant’s long-running “Tilted Axes” project, you could call it a marching band for electric guitars. But given the complexity of the compositions and the dedication of the musicians, that description falls way short.

The latest performance of Grant’s “Music for Mobile Electric Guitars” was realized by 24 musicians, including Grant, on the winter solstice, in the Sasaki Garden at Washington Square Village, “The Alamo” at Astor Place a.k.a. “The Cube” and the streets between.

Tilted Axes: Music for Mobile Electric Guitars – Cold Moon Consort (Patrick Grant center with, L to R, Chad Ossman, Michael Fisher, Sam Weisberg, Sean Satin, Dan Cooper, Howie Kenty).

The event was commissioned by Faculty Housing Happenings at New York University — where Grant is a professor — as part of “Make Music New York.” The confab featured music evenly divided between older pieces, structured improvisations and premieres written specifically for Friday night.

Getting ready to move out from Sasaki Garden. (L to R: John Halo, Howie Kenty, Dylan Sparrow)

One of the new pieces, “Tiltinnabulation,” was written to include another Make Music group, “Bell By Bell.” According to Tom Peyton, the leader of that multigenerational group of bell ringers, they were notified that their path might cross with “Tilted Axes” and they were given the choice of avoiding each other or playing together.

“Tilted Axes” performers playing their “axes” (blues lingo for guitars) while crossing Broadway on their way to “The Alamo” at Astor Place. (L to R: Gene Ardor, John Lovaas, Aileen Bunch, Jason Napier, Angela Babin)

Happily, they chose to do two numbers together at “The Cube” and the result was a perfect combo of chiming guitars and bells. Guitarist Angela Babin, a “Tilted Axes” veteran, called the collaboration “fabulous!”

“It was like a ‘West Side Story’ gang meet-up, with music and camaraderie and solstice celebration love,” she said.

Composer Patrick Grant at “The Alamo” with his “Tilted Axes” performance group.

Carrying an electric guitar and an amp through the streets while playing somewhat complex music is a daunting task, but the participants found it more than worthwhile.

“The universal joy of the people we encountered on our parade route caused me to transcend the discomfort I felt at not being fully in command of the music, the weight on my back and shoulders,” David Demnitz said.

Tilted Axes: Music for Mobile Electric Guitars – Cold Moon Consort (front row seated L to R: Howie Kenty, Sarah Metivier Schadt, Jocelyn Gonzales, Jason Napier, Chad Ossman, Harry Scott, Sean Satin; middle row seated L to R: Sky Matthews, John Lovaas, Leslie Stevens, Patrick Grant, Robert Morton, Gene Ardor, Kevin Pfeiffer; back row standing L to R: Caitlin Cawley, Dan Cooper, Aileen Bunch, Sam Weisberg, Dylan Sparrow, Michael Fisher, John Halo, Angela Babin, David Demnitz, Reinaldo Perez, Jeremy Nesse, Jon Clancy)

Sam Weisberg voiced a similar sentiment, noting, “It’s a rush like no other. It was so worth the chronic right-shoulder pain!”

Grant made it through the balmy evening with a case of laryngitis that forced him to hoarsely whisper directions to bassist Sarah Metivier Schadt, who amply conveyed his instructions to the crew.

“Tilted Axes cuts musical pathways through the urban landscape, turning neighborhoods into their own sonic narratives. Since its inception, Grant has produced a number of Tilted Axes processions in various cities upon three continents.”

“There are many unforeseen elements that we could never have predicted,” Grant reflected. “We’re thinking on our feet, we’re performing live, we’re adjusting to the public in real time. Being there, mobile, right up against the public, brings out musical choices that we’d never come up with in rehearsal. There’s nothing like it.”

Onlookers concurred.

“The public went nuts, in a good way!” Grant enthused. “We couldn’t be happier.”

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April 9, 2016 by Jocelyn - 0 comments

Nick Didkovsky: Strings and Things Podcast

On this episode of Strings and Things, we have the prolific composer/guitarist Nick Didkovsky, founder of the rock ensemble Doctor Nerve, and an agent of destruction in the grindcore outfit Vomit Fist.

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While changing the strings on his B.C. Rich Stealth guitar, he tells our host, Patrick Grant, how he uses the programming language HMSL to compose music, and explains the virtues of his single humbucker pickup. Then Nick and Patrick plug into some Vox Amps for an electrifying duet.

Listen to an extended version of “Episode 4 Petromyzontiformes”, the piece featured at the end of the episode:

BONUS! Listen to Nick’s brief demo of the Stealth guitar:

Nick also plays with the Fred Frith Guitar Quartet and composed music for the Bang On A Can All-Stars, Meridian Arts Ensemble, ETHEL, and others. He’s a co-founder of the $100 Guitar Project with Chuck O’Meara. Find out more about Nick and his many musical projects at didkovsky.com.