Arthur Jarvinen

with Libby Van Cleve

November 12, 1997

New Haven, CT

                                                            Table of Contents

[DAT 1]

Side a                                                                                                                         p.  1-20

Upbringing--childhood musical influences--early interest in and love of percussion and pop music--elementary school education--eighth grade:  first music lessons, begins composing--playing in high school bands--Ohio University: performance percussion major, first real music lessons--studying with, influence of Guy Remonko--college musical influences--listening to Zyklus-performing in and composing for own college quartet--immediate appeal of Frank Zappa and growing interest in new music--post-college musical aspirations--introduction to and appeal of CalArts.

Side b                                                                                                                                    p.  20-35

Morton Subotnick--Stephen Mosko--Mercury at Right Angles--first mature compositions--(1980) first successful piece:  Stockhausen-influenced Soluble Furniture --job as music copyist for Frank Zappa--in praise and criticism of Zappa--other musical influences--listenable versus accessible music.

[DAT 2]

Side c                                                                                                                         p.   35-53

Physical poetry--physical poetry versus performance art--Illegal Music--effectiveness of physical poetry--impetus to become music publisher--the impossibility of having a composing “career”--Ear Unit--Clean Your Gun--commissions--writing Hexations--Jarvinen as a composer/player/publisher--east coast versus west coast--uptown-downtown rift--experimental tradition in American music--up and coming composers--technology and its impact on music--compositional software--importance of composers creating their own ensembles to play their own works.

Side d                                                                                                                                    p.  53-68

Predictions for music’s future--evolution of technology/computer usage in music--“cyber-pierced” generation--views on technology, the Web--new career paths for composition majors--publishing on the Web--impact of world music--Jarvinen’s compositional style--development as a composer--Egyptian Two-Step--inspiration for The Paces of Yu--Experimental Etudes--current projects--Serious Immobilities:  840 Variations on Satie’s Vexations  for Solo Piano--Some Over History ensemble--The Hole Flow Symphony.

[DAT 3]

Cassette side d continued                                                                                      p.  68-71

Sonic and instrumental preferences--moving forward while getting back to musical roots--chamber music versus rock music.

Side e                                                                                                                         p.  71-82

Murphy-Nights--Kyle Gann’s program notes --juxtaposition of freedom with structure--role of composer’s intuition--Zappa-influenced Philifor Honeycombed with Childishness--Queen of Spain--Deductible Rooms--difference tone structures--preference for vertical structures--Edible Black Ink--Golbeater’s Skin--motivation for Experimental Etudes.