Doug Skinner: An Archive on Your Gizmo

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Fine Wishes, Fine Dances, Good Life, Good Luck

September 22nd, 2011 · 1 Comment

Helen Dannenberg put on a concert of her dances at the Margaret Jenkins Dance Studio, in San Francisco, in November 1982.  I provided music for “Fine Wishes, Fine Dances, Good Life, Good Luck,” drawing upon a large assortment of percussion instruments and noisemakers.

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Mike’s Kiddie Show

September 20th, 2011 · Comments Off on Mike’s Kiddie Show

Michael Smith developed a children’s show in the ’90s, and I was invited to provide music.  I loaded a piano with percussion and sound effects, and had a fine time.  A number of people were also on board through its many changes, including that notable puppeteer, Alison Mork.  Mike and I decided at some point that we would rather do childish humor for adults, and switched to the grown-up crowd.

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Varieties!

September 20th, 2011 · 2 Comments

Steve Paul and Gregory Dawson put together a cabaret revue at the Rainbow and Stars in 1991.  Somehow, I ended up hosting it — with my inimitable dummy, Eddie Gray, who received separate billing.

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Shishkabob

September 20th, 2011 · Comments Off on Shishkabob

There were many variety/performance/music series in downtown Manhattan in the ’90s.  This one was hosted by that excellent cartoonist, R. Sikoryak.  I sang my songs, with Carol Benner playing obbligati on the viola; we were bracketed with that excellent writer, David Sedaris.

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Qualm

September 8th, 2011 · Comments Off on Qualm

Viola and organ is a particularly dense and doleful combination; here they go through quite a lot together.

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String Quartet 2: Rounds

September 8th, 2011 · 1 Comment

The second string quartet consists of four rounds: two that were originally vocal, and two that weren’t. Bass lines and other niceties are sometimes added.

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Who’s the Dummy?

September 8th, 2011 · 1 Comment

There have been a few articles over the years that rang changes on this headline; this one is from Metro Magazine, in 1988.

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Cortland Set

September 7th, 2011 · Comments Off on Cortland Set

In 1982, I wrote music for Cortland Set, a dance by Margaret Jenkins.  The score was based on the poetry of Michael Palmer: part of it was a tetrachordal setting of his words, and part was piano music developed from the same material.

 

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Music for Organ

September 7th, 2011 · Comments Off on Music for Organ

I’ve written a number of drone pieces for organ; this is one of them (that is, the beginning of one of them).

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Gravity

September 6th, 2011 · Comments Off on Gravity

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