Sigma Alpha Iota

PAN PIPES • WINTER 2016 • sai-national.org 12 COMPOSITION IN THE DIGITAL WORLD: CONVERSATIONS WITH 21ST CENTURY COMPOSERS Robert Raines. New York: Oxford University Press, 2015. 354 pages In the author's own words, Composition in the Digital World: Conversations with 21 st Century Composers "aims to provide a focused snapshot of American composers and their art at the outset of our young century." The result is a compilation of 28 interviews that provide a cogent insight into the current American Art music scene. Topics discussed include the ubiquitous nature of technology in music careers (even composers that write for acoustic instruments using pen and paper still maintain an internet presence); personal composing practices; and the influence of jazz, pop, and world music. Each interview includes a brief biography with representative works, and the book also has a companion website that includes links for audio and video recordings for many of the composers. The interviews are very clearly and appealingly written. While there are topics that are consistent between each interview, Raines is also able to discuss projects and ideas that are personal to each composer. The results are genuine conversations that allow composer personalities to shine through. It is obvious that Raines has researched each composer thoroughly to prevent these interviews from becoming boilerplate. Fellow composers may find this book to be very reassuring; the composers, ranging from Pamela Z to Eric Whitacre, make no attempt to hide their struggles to find their individual "voice" and create their art. A budding composer will find that all of the approaches to creating music vary so widely that there is no ideal path to being an artist; they are free to forge their own way. For others interested in music, this book describes many new performing groups and avenues to hearing great music. In short, with Composition in the Digital World, Robert Raines indeed provides a "focused snapshot" for anyone interested in the contemporary American music scene. REHEARSING: CRITICAL CONNECTIONS FOR THE INSTRUMENTAL CONDUCTOR John F. Colson. Lahman: Rowman & Littlefield, 2015. 294 pages John F. Colson, professor emeritus at South Dakota State University, asserts in his new book that many collegiate conducting programs maintain an artificial divide between conducting and rehearsing ensembles. Often, conducting classes focus on physical gestures and rudimentary score reading to the exclusion of pedagogy and rehearsal technique. While music education majors are an exception, in that there is some study of pedagogy, the emphasis is on achieving a basic performance level on individual instruments rather than rehearsing ensembles. As a result, many young conductors may be ill-equipped to lead an instrumental ensemble. It is with this premise in mind that Colson wrote Rehearsing: Critical Connections for the Instrumental Conductor. This book is intended to be used as a textbook for collegiate conducting classes to explore aspects of conducting and rehearsal. Each chapter treats a topic as a connection (i.e., conducting and rehearsing) that students must endeavor to make when leading musical groups. After expounding on each connection, the author concludes with a series of questions for group discussion at the end of class. The book also includes select lists of repertoire and equipment to use in classroom training and video recording. As a textbook, Rehearsing presents a compelling argument for each of the connections discussed in a clear and focused manner. Of particular note are chapters Teaching through Performance Concepts and Words to Live By, both of which contain phrases to use during rehearsal to solve problems and make connections quickly and succinctly. Other topics, however, are not addressed with sufficient depth. For example, in discussing score study the author states that "Many conductors use the SAS (Synthesis-Analysis- Synthesis) approach." While he does explain the SAS approach, Colson does not list any alternative methods or explain why this is the only method discussed. In addition, rather than provide examples of rehearsal pitfalls and possible solutions, the author will instead refer the reader to his earlier book (Conducting and Rehearsing the Instrumental Music Ensemble) to find rehearsal strategies. While the material is well written, shortfalls like these prevent this book from becoming a stand alone conducting text. Conducting teachers would have to find ways to supplement the material in the text instead of using the book to supplement their own teaching. Robert Bruns is a Bandmaster in the United States Army and an SAI Friend of the Arts. He received his Bachelor and Master in Music Education degrees at Ithaca College. BOOK REVIEWS

• Cover