AMERICAN MUSIC SERIES                  392 a-e                             OHV

Marc Mellits

With Libby Van Cleve

Manlius, New York

November 11, 2008

November 12, 2008

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Side a                                                                                                              pp. 1-60

[Track 1] Place and date of birth—his grandmother’s work for silent films—his family—playing the piano at a neighbor’s house—his desire to compose begins at an early age—his father’s love of opera—study of piano and theory with his first piano teacher—starting in the Peabody Preparatory Division—music that he liked—study with Jeffrey Chappell at Peabody Prep--Tori Amos—Study of piano with Enrique Graf--composing—composition teacher Pamela Layman Quist—writing and playing his own piano concerto, which was dedicated to his grandfather—help from Pamela Quist. [Track 2]—studying concerti—Concierto de Aranjuez—discover of classical music, then popular music—high school friends and their influence—Rachmaninoff, Bruckner, and the Beatles—playing in the percussion ensemble at Peabody—applying to Eastman and other schools—study at Eastman with Samuel Adler, Warren Benson, and Robert Morris—hearing certain repertoire for the first time—Hearing minimalism: Reich and Glass—practicing his craft.[Track 3] Two different styles he was working on: his own, and that which his teachers wanted him to write—composing—listening to King Crimson—listening to Steve Reich--advice from Adler—solo cello piece—learning about the practicality of a musical work—meeting Steve Reich and the feeling about Reich at Eastman—doing work as a copyist on the side—Jacob Druckman—copying for Steve Reich and getting to know him—showing him some music—copying the music of Music for Eighteen Musicians of Steve Reich.

Side b                                                                                                              pp. 60-99                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

[Track 1] Mellits initiative in devising notation for Music for Eighteen Musicians—copying out part of The Rite of  Spring—writing counterpoint in the morning—copying out Drumming (Reich) –recent performance of Drumming—[Track 2] Mellits experiences at Eastman.  [Track 3] Eastman teachers and students—Samuel Adler as teacher—Mellits year at Boston University—who he studied with at Yale—Common Sense—composing at Yale—Fanfare for Orchestra—his own voice begins to emerge—Martin Bresnick as teacher—other composers at Yale when Mellits was—Jacob  Druckman’s group lessons—sense of community—other students involved—going to Cornell on Bresnick’s advice—working with Stucky, Sierra, and Husa at Cornell—getting mugged—moving to East Haven—study at Cornell—living in Boston—beginning of commissions for him—Tanglewood—meeting his present wife there—Fruity Pebbles—living in Syracuse.—Common Sense group.

Side c                                                                                                              pp.  99-135

Audio Portrait from ASCAP—ASCAP website that has more than a hundred audio portraits of composer-members—his self-publishing—Etudes for 2 Guitars, published by

Henry Lemoine—Mellits’ website—Paul Bertalen—formation of Common Sense—their first concert—writing for specific players—Polysorbate—being involved with Common Sense and his artistic vision—recordings of music of Common Sense—Eleven Miniatures for Baroque Ensemble: the beginning of his “miniature” idea—Eleven Pieces for Flute and Piano Miniatures—Baroque intonation—using key signatures—influence of rock music—Spam—writing for a group called Alternate Currents—importance of touring—5 Machines, written for Bang on a Can—other groups that toured with his music—Paranoid Cheese and Tight Sweater cds good for his career—Fruity Pebbles—copying work on Music for Eighteen Musicians—Ed Ruchalski, a composer friend who was also commissioned by Bang on a Can—5 Machines—formation of the Mellits Consort—Steve Reich’s advice: form your own ensemble—Paranoid Cheese—Serious Music: bringing classical composers into Hollywood—Parking Violation—his titles.

Side d                                                                                                              pp. 135-175

Phase music for his phone—Merge Left—Jonathan Krafts—Polysorbate—how he arrived at the title—Spam: how he got the title—death of his father—other of his titles—humor in the titles—Eleven Miniatures—accessibility in music—Steve Reich—his Jewish heritage—his father’s interest in Judaism—Fruity Pebbles—showing it to his teacher, Christopher Rouse—Rouse’s suggestions--,movements dedicated to different people: Michael Gordon, Leonard Bernstein, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, his wife Cristina, his father—more on the movements: the Bernstein movement—his compositional process—how he writes things down on paper—Prime—sketching—the computer and music—composing with the piano—sketchbooks—notation—figuring out the order of movements—moving to Syracuse—getting married—importance of a presence in New York—his copying business—working for Wynton Marsalis.

Side e                                                                                                              pp. 175-221

Being a parent; how that changed things—hearing music in his mind—finding his way to Romania—differences between U. S. and Romania—the Romanian people—speaking the language—Food as a subject in his music—Quartet No. 2 for Kronos—5 Machines—Society for Music—Tight Sweater—Brick, a Cheswatyr commission—5 Machines—premiere and rehearsal for Brick—dedication to his mother—Frank Morelli—Refrigerator Wisdom—different movements—writing for the orchestra—Michael Daugherty—Jacob Druckman—Tapas—M/W—festival in the north of France: Musique en Roue Libre—Julia Wolfe—Dominic Frasca’s influence—the close musical relationship they share—Mellits consort—Electric Kompany—election of Barack Obama—music Mellits is working on now: string quartets coming up—an all Mellits cd coming up.