Concertimento

Most compositions start with an improvisation, a spontaneous revelation! This work "Flow Motion" (1999) is incomplete, yet vital to my development. Sometimes not finishing a work can be a profound experience. As a composer I think I am too pragmatic, always having to get my own works performed and that thought can become confining. This Flow Motion Technique involves using graphic notation to sketch the form of the work and then us it like a blueprint to fill in the 'composed' sections of the piece. ! But sometimes the white heat of inspiration can be too overwhelming to document. I developed short hand - grids, graphics, etc - to 'capture' the energy, in particular, for 'place'. Geography deeply influences my work ( nothing unique really) - especially the cracks and crevices of New York City, my hometown for some 13+ years now. "Flow Motion" is playable I think as an improvisational system, but somehow it remains incomplete and I enjoy the i...

This time of the year I notice the days are longer, the light has changed into a more azure texture. I have been editing some of the "NanoMusic" pieces from 2010. Most of these pieces are for postcard or smaller photos. Some are very pragmatic, other works more dreamscape. I envisioned a plan to write music for every city park in Williamsburg - but I quickly forgot that idea! But I do love parks, music in parks, the solace of silence that parks provide, pine kinda quiet. Of course these pieces continue you my interest in smaller chamber groups infused with improvisation coinciding with fabulous musicality! This Work "Father Jerzy Popieluscko Square" is score for Flute, Bass Clarinet, Piano, Violin, Cello - marker 'Autumn Allegro'. this park is at the north corner of the HS for Automotive Arts - Bedford @ Lorimer St.

I love Anti-Social Music. I remember working a long hot summer day in 2005 in Park Slope and found a card that asked "Do you like Zappa, Boulez, Hank Williams, Coltrane,etc..." then maybe you'd like to join ASM - amazing group. They have played several of my new works and some of my concertimenti. So I think we forgot this secret piece I wrote: "LEAP DAY CONCERTIMENTO" (2/29/2008) marked "Fast & Hard, Taken Apart" This version is brand nu edit, hope y'all dig it! [Concertimento #16]

Summertime! I'm back blogging! Part of this summer I going to spend editing the full body of these Concertimentos - and I need to count how many there are. But recently my dear friend Roger Ruzow recorded the only solo concertimento - for trumpet. Above is the score - recording coming when I figure how to do it!

Folks I'm back, thinking about Concertimentos, editing the #10 poems of Steve Dalachinsky for the Akron/Family show Saturday March 28 , Union Pool..love ya..

Join us on ELECTION NIGHT for music, news, food and drink! Outside the Box An Election Night Concert of Free Improvisation Tuesday, November 4, 2008 6 pm - midnight Curated by Lisa Bielawa in New York & Carla Kihlstedt in the Bay Area Simultaneous concert to be performed in Oakland, CA and broadcast via live video fee Featuring performances by 19 artists: John Zorn, composer, saxophonist, and multi-instrumentalist Joan La Barbara, composer, performer, and soundartist Lisa Bielawa, composer and vocalist Kevork Mourad, improvisational painter Steve Ben Israel, poet Zeena Parkins, electric harp Colin Jacobsen, violinist Charles Waters, clarinetist, saxophonist, and multi-instrumentalist Kinan Azmeh, clarinetist Gordon Beeferman, composer and pianist Shahzad Ismaily, percussionist Russ Johnson, trumpet Mick Rossi, pianist, composer, and percussionist Kyle Sanna, guitarist Jim Black, percussionist Ches Smith, drummer Miguel Frasconi, glass instrumentalist and electronics Paul Knopf,...

Dear Readers- I'm editing this work "Defenders" originally written for ASM and wanted to share my notes from this piece. Hopefully we'll hear it soon. Rzewski had some interesting things to say about my essay, all of which left me even more committed. PEACE. "Music is the opposite of war. Even the most clashing, iconoclastic music is humbled by the power of the medium. Music has the power of peace. This work was originally conceived as an homage to the 'Defenders of the Union" Arch at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn. It represents the power of reconciliation. And music becomes the MESSAGE of TRANSFORMATION - "HEALING THROUGH TONE." In this work I am focused on energy transformation rather than technical demands. it is a work that can hopefully be understood by players and listeners very directly. In the end, perhaps we all - artists, composers, conductors, players, singers, presenters, thinkers and critics are the "New Defenders",...

I've determined to publish more often! I guess I was never a good diarist, but I'm going to try. The ASM concert at St. Marks was lovely.  One of the things that sets ASM apart from the gaggle of other "new music bands' is that its a collection of composers first. Great players too, but really interesting voices in this group.  The Auster chord was short - about 5 minutes and really great to hear.  I hope it lasts another day! Also during the past few weeks recorded and performed with my new group the Waters Horn Quartet - really great players - Nate Wooley, Chris McIntyre, Matt Bauder.  We played for the Art Under the Bridge Festival in Dumbo for which I wrote the "DUMBO CONCERTIMENTO" - its a grid work based on the muralist Tattfoo Tan's mural in DUMBO. This DUMBO piece is in three parts of which I composed two. First for horn quartet, second for Octet (using Stravinsky's instruments) and third part for low instruments best described as an Homage t...

CONCERTIMENTO #11 (AUSTER CHORD) for Anti-Social Music Sextet for two flute, two trumpets, two trombones Part of the Festival of New Trumpet ANTI-SOCIAL MUSIC BLOWS SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2008 2PM ST MARKS CHURCH 131 E. 10TH at @2nd Ave. NYC 10003 http://antisocialmusic.org/Performances.shtml http://fontmusic.org

Neighborhood Public Radio in the 2008 Whitney Biennial of American Art 941 Madison @ 74 St. SATURDAY April 5, 2008 Charles Waters spins, talks and plays with Poet Steve Dalachinsky Williamsburg Winds - Susanne Chen -bassoon Yuko Yamamoto - flutes Charles Waters - clarinets/saxophone Manhattan premiere of Waters' Concertimento #5 "777" for John Zorn http://www.neighborhoodpublicradio.org

Hey Y'all Thanks for reading. I have two new works being premiered next weekend. One here in NYC with fabulous Anti-Social Music. They are playing my "TRIO SONATA (SEM)" for flute, tuba, and piano. Rehearsal was really cool and it should be a fun show. info: Sat. Nov. 10 8pm Yippie Musuem Cafe 9 Bleeker St (near Bowery) http://www.antisocialmusic.com The latest Concertimento (#14) gets an out-of-town premiere. This one is totally f'd-up weird. I wrote it for Roger Ruzow and is great players in ATL. They get the hard one! This piece is also dedicated to writer and "thinker" John Hodgman. I meet him while I was working on one of those new Apple/PC commercials. He liked the fruit. I liked his style, so I wrote this one on set! [hint, hint Apple buy my shit!] Hope all goes well, if you're around send me a photo and review. info: Eyedrum.....Sunday 11-11..... 6pm Roger Ruzow presents: New Southern Composition and Performance Series#2 Roger Ruzow presents a...

Happy Monday- Since I started this blog, I realized that it is hard to maintain if you don't sit in front of a computer everyday. I don't. My day job is on film sets where I'm serving the snacks (more on that later). So I'm trying to focus more on getting more thoughts out. And since its about these concertimentos below is an updated list of finished works in the series. I began in January of 2006. And if any of these works interest you, I'll send you a score! ______________________________________________________________________________ CONCERTIMENTI #1 - VIOLIN - ob, bs, fh, perc., strings #2 - PIANO - cl, bcl,asax, tenor sax, fh, tuba, vibes, perc, strings #3 - VIOLA - asax, bari sax, fh, tr, tbone, tuba, piano, bass, perc #4 - TRIO "25 for Mark Morris" - oboe, violin, cello #5 - TRIO "777" for flute, clarinet, bassoon #6 - SEXTET "New Symphony" - flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, perc #7 - "Feldmusic Vancouver" - fl, ...

My name is Charles Waters. I am a composer and performer living in Brooklyn. I am originally from North Carolina via Atlanta now in beginning my second (?) decade here in the Big Apple. I started this blog to explain some of my compositional working methods - in particular this new style or form of works that I call CONCERTIMENTO . But also to write about shows I see(a lot), thing I see ( strange!) encounters I have and just basic musical life in my late-thirties. I would be part of what I call the SUBMERGING COMPOSERS GROUP. So first disclosure and second definitions about my work because I think "owning" words about ones art is vital in the post-post modern - what I refer to as REMODERN -times. So first I am rather uneducated in terms of being a 21C composer. I was trained pencil and paper style in 80's with Dr. Scott Meister at Appalachian State University. And still to this day I compose on pen and paper. I have rarely had problems with any one understanding my m...