My trip to Turlock was filled with wonderful company, exceptional food, and an abundance of artistic enrichment! 


On Monday we grabbed lunch at (on, rather) the world-famous taco bus, Viva Taco. Viva taco indeed—this restaurant on wheels was incredible! After tacos, we headed to the master class for a discussion with CSU Stanislaus composition students about the composer’s process.  These composers were full of music and ideas, and I was inspired by their enthusiasm.

Later that night, I heard Amusia for the first time at the dress rehearsal. I was impressed by the ensemble’s grasp of the musical gestures under the direction of Dustin’s sensitive interpretation. Amazing! 


In Dustin’s Tuesday morning orchestration class the students presented drafts of orchestral arrangements of short piano pieces, and we all bounced around ideas about balance, tone color, and general instrumentation issues. In the afternoon, we discussed Amusia and the not-so-grim state of new music for an upcoming podcast on The Loose Filter Project.

At the performance it was exhilarating to hear the piece come to life with a full house in the mix!  Afterwards I enjoyed a laughter-filled celebration at The Bistro with the Soiseth family—what a fun group of people!

This experience was refreshing in many ways.  Overall, I learned about the importance of art as a collaborative experience.  Composing often seems (and feels) like a lonely pursuit, but an orchestra piece can only be fully realized when the composer joins with instrumentalists, a conductor, and an open-minded audience.  No individual can be the lone superhero of music.  We all need each other, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

On a related note, this trip would not have been what it was without the hospitality of Dustin’s aunt and uncle, Danette and Pete Peterson. Their house was better than any hotel, and their kindness truly made it feel like home. I feel privileged to have spent a little time with them, along with the rest of the Soiseth family, including Dustin’s wonderful wife, Kate, who I was proud to discover is a fellow Texan, ya’ll!

Rehearsal Video Clip