From salon performances to jam sessions, the Spring 2023 music and performing arts professions majors have been hard at work! Here are glimpses into what some of the music students have been up to this semester.
Jackson Waters (Major: Concert Composition)
During my time studying at NYU Prague, I had the privilege of connecting with Beata Hlavenková, my private composition teacher. Each lesson I had with her left me feeling more inspired to keep working on my projects. Beata went above and beyond what any other teacher would typically do to bring my ideas to life. Earlier this month, I had the incredible opportunity to record my trumpet playing inside St. Nicholas’s Church in Old Town Square for my upcoming album. It was an experience I never thought could happen. I finally felt like a part of Prague, no longer an outsider looking in. Playing the trumpet in a church with architecture, art and history dating back to the 13th century gave my work a whole new dimension, and it deepened my goals as a composer and musician. In May, I will be recording several of my compositions with a string trio of professional Prague musicians. None of this would have been possible without Beata’s guidance and support or my decision to study abroad. My study abroad experience was beyond anything I could have prepared for, and I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to have had this experience.
Link to listen: https://www.instagram.com/p/CqYCZkGLzYf/
Photos courtesy of Rylie Dempster
Harley Sheppard (Major: Film Composition)
One of the coolest musical collaborations I got to be a part of this semester was in my composing and recording process of my musical theater song, “Last Meal Blues.” Over spring break while in Paris, I received an email from my academic advisor telling us that composer Alan Menken (“The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast” and every other movie from your childhood) intended to give a scholarship to a composer in my program. The catch was that our portfolios were due in a week and required a musical theater piece.
Having never written a song in the style (but with the secret desire to), I scribbled down lyrics in my notes app on the plane home from Paris to an non-existent composed melody: lyrics about a last meal chef in a state prison who was kicked out of culinary school. I booked studio time with Noah Penkrat to pound out chord ideas on the piano, scribbled down my composed melody the next day and asked if Emma Murphy would be willing to record the piece in 2 days–I had heard her sing for the first time in a collegium salon and knew she’d take it to the next level. After an emergency key change, new melody for the chorus and brass recording with Jackson Waters, we had a recorded piece. The whole process from concept to completion took five days, and it wouldn’t have been possible without my amazing artists/neighbors who helped without hesitation. Now I just have my fingers crossed…
Link to listen: https://on.soundcloud.com/ncjsU
Photo courtesy of Harley Sheppard
Noah Penkrat (Major: Film Composition)
On February 3rd, I released my first EP, “WAKE”! I put “WAKE” together because I felt that I was only doing film scoring. I work on so many projects that it’s hard to find time to make music that I care about. I was also frustrated–I spent so much time writing scores for movies that weren’t accessible or able to be seen. So, I made “WAKE” in an attempt to get my music heard. The goal was to collage a bunch of my musical styles from different genres.
The challenge came when figuring out how to make the tracks sound cohesive, even when I have an electronic beat and an ambient piano track coexisting in the same EP. I tried to find techniques and motifs to spread between the tracks. For example, the tracks all use the same piano–a combination of Native Instrument’s “Una Corda,” “Noire” and “The Gentleman.” The reverbs, effects and textures are the same in every track, too. There is a constant sound of wind blowing on the entire EP–that comes from KIA’s (like the car company’s) synthesizer. A lot of the creaking comes from a recording I did of the floor in my house.
All in all, “WAKE” was a really fun experiment, and really special to release while studying abroad in Prague. Coming from a film scoring background, music always has the film to support it, so the process of writing the score is dependent on pre-existing media. Writing “WAKE” was a challenge because I was starting from scratch, which is usually something I don’t do.
You can stream “WAKE” on all streaming platforms until the end of August!
Link to listen: https://open.spotify.com/album/7dOPkffMurbltlVtggejG9
Image courtesy of Noah Penkrat
Gillian Greenlaw (Major: Music Business)
On February 25th, Cameron Glass and I performed an electronic noise show in Warsaw, Poland. We were invited to join visual artist MØØNSPEED and headlined a punk celebration of an audience of 70 plus. Complete with audio/visual chaos, our set rocked the DIY venue and fashion event. Towards the second half of the hour, the DJ table collapsed from the vibration of the music and dancing. After a brief moment of silence, we continued our set on the floor, then fixed the table beneath the equipment as the audience cheered an encore. It was a provocative performance that established a lifelong connection with artists from Warsaw and New York City alike. We look forward to releasing a video reflecting this artistic collaboration in the future! Check out @ar.achnid on Instagram if you’re so curious.
Daniel Basurto (Major: Music)
I took Experiential Learning Seminar and one of the best events I did was performing in Masopust, a traditional Czech festival celebrating the coming of Spring. I got the opportunity to work with a Belgian drumming group named Bruital, and it was a great experience and an even better opportunity to know about Czech festivities. The best part besides performing was the dancing at the end of the day and hearing the folk music with a beer in hand. Doing the best attempt of dancing I could with friends made me feel at home in the Czech Republic.
I also did an internship in a town called Svitavy, and it was the best learning experience I’ve had for recording music in Prague. I worked with a producer called Daniel Zezula and met some amazing Czech musicians. I had a chance to get to know the countryside, meet amazing people and learn some cool things about recording a group. Overall, interning in Prague has been the best experience I’ve had and would recommend it.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Basurto
Nadia Othman (Major: Music Technology)
Photo courtesy of Ray Heller
Come celebrate the Spring 2023 MPAP students at Prahapalooza!
Important dates:
Vocal Ensemble Concert: Thursday, April 27 at 7:30 pm in Týn Church
Classical Concert: Wednesday, May 3 at 4:30 pm in Havel Hall, RD
Jazzish Concert: Thursday, May 4 at 6:30 pm in Gauč na Výstavišti
Electroacoustic Concert: Friday, May 5 at 6 pm in Havel, RD