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About Stephen

Baltimore City  

In the past, composers were free to write different kinds of music. Operas are drastically different from string quartets or piano works. These days musicians are often expected to write music under a genre or style, and hopping around is looked down upon. But different purposes, situations, and collaborators will necessitate having  different approaches and output. I have a wide variety of solo and collaborative projects, but I believe they are all… more

View Stephen's Resume
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Ghost Life

Ghost Life was an ensemble project based on mostly small rhtythmic instruments .  When it first started, I wanted to combine my love of pop and ethnic music with ensemble organization.  The instrumentation allowed me to put percussion up front to form its own narrative.  At an age where anybody can play a single instrument and fill up a room completely with sound, I wanted all the individual sounds of the group to be tiny.  I also tried to avoid any use of chord progressions, relying instead on the constanly shifting rhythmic elements and combinations to sustain interest in the pieces.   I made some virtual ensemble performances to highlight the physical elements of the sound.  That element is an important factor in this music and might be lost on just a listen through.   After years of performances with little documentation, I wanted to have some representation that would highlight the sound generating process of the physical action.  
  • Ghost Life - Moose
    2nd virtual ensemble video for Ghost Life
  • Ghost Life - Hands (2018)
    virtual ensemble performance video
  • Ghost Life cassette
    Ghost Life cassette
    Cassette release of Ghost Life and Relay project together. Release date pending due to problems with the tape transfer of the recording. But it should be out by late winter 2021.
  • Morning Roosters (2018)
    First part of a projected cylce of 8 parts.
  • a3
    ghost life performance at floristree. february, 2014. filmed by thomas kessler.
  • ghostbeat4
    ghost life performance at floristree. february, 2014. filmed by thomas kessler.
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    • Relay song cycle

    This is a song cycle made up of 4 sections. There is a break between sections 2 and 3, but the other sections are connected. The first 2 minutes consist of a few layers of drum machines playing. Each layer is made up of little sounds and the relationship between the layers shift and evolve. Eventually acoustic instruments join in and sprout songs over the rhythmic base. Each of these beginning section starts instrumentally and ends with a vocal entrance. The last 2 sections mimic the beginning in an expanded way.  Section 3 "the cathedral" eventually leads into "the world is always disappearing" (section 4) which is a vocal section.  The whole scheme of the work goes like this: Relay 1 (percussion introduction, instrumental section leading to vocals); Relay 2 (percussion transition, instrumental section leading to vocals)// Relay 3 ("cathedral" organ introduction/transition, instrumental section leading to the song"the world is always disappearing").  The use of a sample that exists throughout the piece is another element that ties it all together.   
    • relay 1/relay 2
      parts 1 and 2 of the song cycle.
    • the cathedral/the world is always disappearing
      parts 3 and 4 of the song cycle
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    • Ceremony Drum

    Ceremony Drum started off as a writing  exercise based on an image of a pop band in the dark. I imagined a group of musicians where the view of the lead vocalist, ususally the most visible in a pp group would be obscured by darkness and by his posotion in the back of the stage. I also imagined a drummer being front and center, and only having a floor tom instead of a full drum kit, and he would be the only person standing on stage. I liked the idea of the drummer's repetitive motion being the only visible element of the live performance. From this image, I imagined what this group would sound like. At first, I was just using this as an exercies to quickly write a song to help me take a break from the more involved pieces I was working on. But after some time, I realized I had accumulated a some good songs adn decided to take this project more seriously. I put together a group to perform this live in 2019 and hope to do more shows in the future. I am still writing new material for this project.

    • Ceremony Drum at Current Gallery 2019
      Ceremony Drum at Current Gallery 2019
    • Ceremony Drum cassette
      Ceremony Drum cassette
      Released cassette version of Ceremony Drum project in January 2021
    • Some Days (2023)
    • Canoe
    • Fell Into a Room
    • Ceiling Fan
    • World Is On It's Way
    • In the Roses
    •

    • Music for other people's projects

    Music written for other people's projects

    • Officer! - "Strong Butler" (2023)

      Written for international collaboraive project "Officer!" This is the first time I took the lead vocals in a collaborative setting, and the first instance of using the bass clarinet (which I am relatively new at) in a recording.

    • Crickets (2023)

      Soundtrack written for 3rd collaboration with Zoe Friedman

    • Night Jungle (2022).mp3
      Music written for an animated installation by Zoe Friedman
    • 2018 exquite corpse soundtrack- The Adventures of Prince Achmed
      On October 13, 2108, I took part in 2 live performances of an exquisite corpse soundtrack. New music was written for different sections of the film by different artists, and was performed at the Parkway Theatre. This section was written in collaboration with Emmanuel Nicolaidis playing vibraphone and floor tom. This was a home draft our section, so the vibraphone and drum is not present in this version. The video footage is still being put together at the time of this post.
    • Ishi's Brain (2012)
      Music written for travelling puppet performance of Ishi's Brain, used to promote book by Eamon Espey, of the same name.
    • Children in Heat (rough mix) (2009)
      Song written in collaboration with Emmanuel for "Children in Heat" a video by Deitra Thompson, based on a song by the Misfits.
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    • Permanent Waves 2016-2017

    I collaborated in this group as a drummer.  We recorded an album in El Paso, Texas, in July, 2017.  
    • screen shot
      screen shot
    •

    Oh Hang 2013-2016

    A duo project started in 2013 with long time collaborator, Emmanuel Nicolaidis.  The angle of experimentation in these songs were to use sampled and programmed rhythms along live rhythmic elements to generate a song. These songs were recorded in September, 2014.  
    • oh hang live
      oh hang live
      photo from a live show in washington dc. 2016
    • oh hang cassette release
      oh hang cassette release
      released octo 4, 2015. cover art by chris day.
    • trumpet song
      this song uses a drum machine/sample. in this piece we experimented at times with using keys that would clash with the sample. but we were also trying to approach it that it would still sound natural.
    • sisters (2014)
      the idea behind this song was the use of 3 different layers of rhythm, each with its own timbre. the first one was a sample that had it's own built in rhythm. the second was a more electronic dance club rhtythm, and the third would be the drumset.
    • conquistador hop (2014)
    •

    • Golden Age

    this was an attempt to bridge the gap between classical song cycles and pop music. the impetus for this project was an art opening at the current gallery, where it was first performed. for this, we decided to work with orchestral instruments and vocals. the 14 piece ensemble was made up mostly of hired peabody students. the only other time these pieces were performed was at whartscape, in 2008, at the 2640 space. with the exception of the moon song, these pieces were written in collaboration with emmanuel nicolaidis.
    • I.night now is sleeping soundly
    • II. moon song
      this is a midi mock up of this piece because it was never properly recorded. the "bassoon" sound represents the vocal line. unlike the other 2 orchestral songs, this uses more classically oriented melodic figures.
    • III. like a lot of men going
      this was an attempt to write pop music, using pop instruments, but using a more chamber-like interplay between the instruments.
    • IV. western
    •

    • More Dog

    this was a trio group with emmanuel nicolaidis and michael bouyoucas. initially, strictly, a studio group, we were able to create ensemble-like passages. the "moveable walk" is piece which exploits the ability to quickly shift timbres while anchored to a central theme. "cabbage bring me the lettuce. i want my wife back" is also anchored on a main theme, but emphasizes the cadences by using silences between the variations.
    • the moveable walk
    • 06-cabbage-bring-me-the-lettuce-i-want-my-wife-bac.mp3
    •

    • Wheatie Mattiasich

    I started accompanying Wheatie for live shows in 2011, and naturally started writing songs with her. I recorded her 2013 record "Little Black Star" and co-wrote a few songs on that record. We just released an LP, "Old Glow" in January 2023 and plan on touring to support the album. One track "This Way" was spotlighted on NPR's Now Playing. We continue the collaboration and are touring to support the last record.

    • a cover.jpg
      a cover.jpg
      Old Glow LP. Released in January 2023
    • Wheatie live.jpg
      Wheatie live.jpg
      Photo from a show at the True Vine on November 21, 2018.
    • This Way.mp3
      This track was featured on NPR's Now Playing in January 2023
    • People.mp3
      from "Old Glow"
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