Stirring the Stew

1974    Dur. 11:22    Stereo

This was only my second composition but already I was starting to identify aspects of a personal compositional style ….. music that contains multiple ingredients from different musical food groups, sort of like a stew. A chunky stew.

This recording is the second version of this composition. The original version was performed in 1973 in a music assembly at my high school. For that performance, which involved an ensemble of 13 musicians, I thought it would be fitting to conduct the band with a large wooden mixing spoon rather than a conductor’s baton …. “stirring the stew” as it were.