AMERICAN MUSIC SERIES                                             350      a-f

 

Thomas C. Duffy

With Libby Van Cleve

New Haven, CT 

July 21, 2006

August 23, 2006

 

Table of Contents

 

Side a                                                                                                  1-50

 

Early musical experiences—family background—beginning Catholic school on the West Coast—studying the accordion—moving to Connecticut—music in his family—hearing pop music on the radio and buying records—being in a rock band—teaching himself guitar—his high school band director—playing in the band—attending UConn—training drug intervention teams—studies as a pharmacy major at UConn—switching to sociology—having saxophone lessons in high school—playing accordion, guitar, piano—affinity for leadership positions—College Band Directors National Association: president-elect (to assume office in 2009)—putting together a band named Chicago in high school—Duffy’s True Grease Band—competition with his father—deciding to go to college—getting a bachelor of science in music education—studying in the graduate program in composition at UConn—taking a year off and teaching at the Hartford Conservatory—being accepted at Cornell for graduate work—diving injury that made it difficult for him to use some fingers—extroverted personality—lessons in arranging from George Masso—copying parts for Masso—writing a march--Ted Decorso—open education—working on a rock opera—Stravinsky Sketches--student teaching.

Side b                                                                                                  pp. 50-94

Accountability in education—accountability in teaching lessons to undergrads at Yale—stability of teaching—getting the job at Yale and finishing his doctorate on Charles Whittenberg—working with serialism—composing—Rage Against the Dying of the Light—Charles Whittenberg—Donald Martino—Whittenberg finding mistakes in Babbitt’s music—Hale Smith—orchestral jazz—not having enough money—teaching non-tonal music—his twentieth anniversary band party—reason for working with Karel Husa—talking to Husa about his Organ Concerto—Tryptich for Orchestra—playing baritone sax—running pep band at UConn—band teaching assistantship—offering the jazz ensemble—directing bands at Cornell—conducting—being offered a job doing band and jazz ensemble at Yale—Virgil Thomson’s visit to Cornell—teaching in a maximum security prison.

Side c                                                                                                  pp. 94-138

Teaching jazz in prison—Tim Page—meeting Virgil Thomson at Yale—Thomson comes to Yale again—need for education of critics—College Band Directors National Conference—others with multi-faceted careers—driving the truck when the band played at Carnegie Hall—playing a piece by David Diamond with the band—William Schuman—playing Schuman’s Chester—Gunther Schuller—Duffy as composer, conductor, teacher, administrator—living in the present—Duffy as composer—Nonet—Husa and his Music for Prague—Duffy’s Ghoti—interdisciplinary connections—Three Places in New Haven—Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel—band world and the academy—writing tenure reviews for band directors.

Side d                                                                                                  pp. 139-188

Crystals—Rage Against the Dying of the Light—transcription of Bach organ chorales: Organ Chorale Suite, 1985—influence of Joseph Schwantner—use of aleatoric techniques—more on Crystals—work at UConn with conductor Jerome Laszloffy—writing so that less experienced bands can play the music—Michigan’s Motors—use of soggetto cavato technique—piece to commemorate inauguration of UConn’s new president: Qui Transtulet Sustinet—Brown vs. the Board of Education—A+--Band Quest Program—Standards of Excellence music—March of the Night Crawlers—Bobby McFerrin and Band Quest—Minaret Music—teaching his music—how and when he composes—using the Finale program—high points and connections in his music—lack of sketches because of Finale—Crystals—criticism of music written for schools—Philosopher’s Stone—interdisciplinary connections—lecture: Aesthetics: A Matter of Tastes—joy of teaching—upcoming presidency of College Band Directors National Association—leadership training—projected seminar on leadership—promotion of his music—Teaching Music Through Band Performance Series—rental of his music—royalties—training and style of administration.

Side e                                                                                                  pp. 188-199

 

More on making an administrative decision—need to make coalitions—other leaders: Martin Luther King, Jesse Jackson—commencement speech—other writings—hundred million dollar gift and other exciting things that happened during his tenure as acting dean—handling requests from faculty—considering future opportunities and directions.

Side f                                                                                                   pp. 199-249

 

Ceremonial March—Snakes—Zephyrs—palindrome piece: Bob—performing Steve Melillo’s work—Plankton Press—advocacy vision for music—Afro-American woman who got into All-State—possibility of Urban All-State which was not realized—his many roles in music: conducting, education, administration, etc.—Max the King—Mike

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mulligan and his Steam Shovel---Brundibar—Comedy on the Bridge—influence of Charles Ives—Ives’s Country Band March—Jim Sinclair—Three Places in New Haven featuring Robert van Sice on marimba—tempos in Three Places in New Haven—Corpus Callosum—Butterflies and Bees—nurse practitioner program and their difficulty distinguishing heart rhythms, etc—“Music and the Brain lectures”—Light from the East—Dream of Home—Overture 1776—being made an honorary member of the U.S. Army Field Band—encore piece for Daejeon Philharmonic—Millennium Fanfares.