I have a fondness for chorales: nuggets of harmony, where I can play around with voice leading.  I wrote several for piano, later incorporated into my 4th String Quartet.

“Prof. Williams’ New System” was the first piece I toured with the Oberlin Dance Collective, back in 1974.  I was 19.  I don’t remember much about the piece, but did keep a rough score/script.  The title was taken from a 19th century manual on the care of horses and cattle, and the text came from that and other sources.  According to my notes, I played ‘cello, bulbul (a sort of Indian dulcimer), camel bells, and percussion.   I do remember that I wrote it using bits of found material within a network of associations.

It was reviewed briefly in the Boston Globe.  At least I knew when to stop!

It was also reviewed somewhat more sympathetically by Peter Walsh  in the Oberlin Review.

A short piece for piano, based on diatonic 4-pitch and 7-pitch sets.  Here’s the beginning:

I wrote “Love Is Fun” for White Knuckle Sandwich.  Dave Miller made a cartoon video of it, as you can see in the following screen shots.

The first issue of Black Scat Review is now out!  Among its interesting contents is my translation of “The Man in the Iron Mask,” by Pierre-Henri Cami.  Cami is now mostly forgotten by English readers, but he once published in Vanity Fair and was lauded by Chaplin.  He specialized in fast-moving, gag-driven playlets; he’s sometimes called “the French Tex Avery.”  You can order a copy (and see a preview) here.  Warning: there’s a naked lady on the cover, so don’t click if you’re somewhere hostile to birthday suits.

Back in the ’90s, White Knuckle Sandwich made a video of Jen’s song, “Lookin’ for a Man.”  The song and storyboard were by Jen Perez, and it was shot by videographer Anney Bonney for the now defunct pseudo.com.  Anne Shapiro and I portrayed a number of characters in this disturbing production.  Here are some screen shots.