Composer Anna E. Garman was commissioned by AVIDduo in 2012 to write for the 2013 season. We chose to include her piece, "Cracked Brick", in our debut album, "Interactions". We thoroughly enjoyed working with Anna and hope you all enjoy meeting her and hearing all of her marvelous work.
-BP & KH
-BP & KH
AVIDduo: You began your musical studies on bassoon. How did you get started in composition?
Anna E. Garman: I was lucky enough to have a private lessons teacher who recognized that I was utterly bored with the middle school bassoon repertoire (of which there is basically none). He dabbled in composition himself, and introduced me to the idea of writing music when I was only a year into my studies. He told me where to download Finale Notepad, and the rest is history.
AD: What was your inspiration for Cracked Brick?
AEG: I can't say there was any one specific thing that inspired me for Cracked Brick. When I started the piece I just knew I wanted to stretch my own boundaries as a composer. Knowing I would have a dedicated duo to perform the work gave me a lot of freedom to try new things without the fear of it being off-putting to the performers. AVIDduo was on the receiving end of that freedom.
AD: How was your experience writing for AVIDduo? Were there any advantages or disadvantages in writing for flute, piccolo, and saxophone?
AEG: I had a great time writing Cracked Brick. The instrumentation did present a few unique challenges, but overall I really like the combination of flute and saxophone. The biggest obstacles for me were the different dynamic capabilities of the two instruments and the relative lack of a bass register (as a bassoonist, I tend to gravitate towards low registers), but neither presented any serious problems. In fact, one of my favorite moments in the piece is when I completely forsake the low register and have both the flute and saxophone way up in the stratosphere.
AD: What are your current musical projects?
AEG: I am currently in the final semester of my masters degree, so at the moment all of my time is eaten up by my thesis. It's an as-of-yet untitled work for full orchestra and solo Tenor and Baritone. I'm using two texts, one is Psalms 139 and the other is A Wasted Illness by Thomas Hardy. It should be finished by April 2014.
AD: Your husband, Michael A. Garman, is also a composer. Have you ever collaborated?
AEG: We collaborated once, and had a lot of fun doing it. We each wrote one movement of a three movement miniature for bassoon and clarinet (our instruments) separately, and then came together to write the final movement. If anyone has ever participated in an “exquisite corpse” exercise, that is basically how we approached the last movement. I would write about four measures of clarinet music, then he would write four for bassoon, overlapping and getting ahead of me. It was quite a challenge to get into someone else's mind and try and keep the motives and harmonic language consistent. We performed the work at the University of Redlands in 2011, but the last movement has since been lost. My second movement is now a standalone work, entitled Wonderings Subdued.
AD: How can musicians commission you, purchase your scores, or hear samples of your work?
AEG: Everything can be found on my website at www.annaegarman.com. If you don't find what you're looking for there, I'd be happy to field your emails at composer@annaegarman.com. I have no problem handing out scores, parts, and recordings, so don't be shy.
AD: Do you have any advice for young composers?
AEG: I'd say that just like learning an instrument, composing is about practicing. Don't be afraid to try new things, make mistakes, and most importantly, learn from other composers AND musicians. You should always be thirsty for new information.
Anna E. Garman: I was lucky enough to have a private lessons teacher who recognized that I was utterly bored with the middle school bassoon repertoire (of which there is basically none). He dabbled in composition himself, and introduced me to the idea of writing music when I was only a year into my studies. He told me where to download Finale Notepad, and the rest is history.
AD: What was your inspiration for Cracked Brick?
AEG: I can't say there was any one specific thing that inspired me for Cracked Brick. When I started the piece I just knew I wanted to stretch my own boundaries as a composer. Knowing I would have a dedicated duo to perform the work gave me a lot of freedom to try new things without the fear of it being off-putting to the performers. AVIDduo was on the receiving end of that freedom.
AD: How was your experience writing for AVIDduo? Were there any advantages or disadvantages in writing for flute, piccolo, and saxophone?
AEG: I had a great time writing Cracked Brick. The instrumentation did present a few unique challenges, but overall I really like the combination of flute and saxophone. The biggest obstacles for me were the different dynamic capabilities of the two instruments and the relative lack of a bass register (as a bassoonist, I tend to gravitate towards low registers), but neither presented any serious problems. In fact, one of my favorite moments in the piece is when I completely forsake the low register and have both the flute and saxophone way up in the stratosphere.
AD: What are your current musical projects?
AEG: I am currently in the final semester of my masters degree, so at the moment all of my time is eaten up by my thesis. It's an as-of-yet untitled work for full orchestra and solo Tenor and Baritone. I'm using two texts, one is Psalms 139 and the other is A Wasted Illness by Thomas Hardy. It should be finished by April 2014.
AD: Your husband, Michael A. Garman, is also a composer. Have you ever collaborated?
AEG: We collaborated once, and had a lot of fun doing it. We each wrote one movement of a three movement miniature for bassoon and clarinet (our instruments) separately, and then came together to write the final movement. If anyone has ever participated in an “exquisite corpse” exercise, that is basically how we approached the last movement. I would write about four measures of clarinet music, then he would write four for bassoon, overlapping and getting ahead of me. It was quite a challenge to get into someone else's mind and try and keep the motives and harmonic language consistent. We performed the work at the University of Redlands in 2011, but the last movement has since been lost. My second movement is now a standalone work, entitled Wonderings Subdued.
AD: How can musicians commission you, purchase your scores, or hear samples of your work?
AEG: Everything can be found on my website at www.annaegarman.com. If you don't find what you're looking for there, I'd be happy to field your emails at composer@annaegarman.com. I have no problem handing out scores, parts, and recordings, so don't be shy.
AD: Do you have any advice for young composers?
AEG: I'd say that just like learning an instrument, composing is about practicing. Don't be afraid to try new things, make mistakes, and most importantly, learn from other composers AND musicians. You should always be thirsty for new information.
Anna E. Garman graduated from the University of North Texas summa cum laude with a BM in Composition, where she studied with Joelle Wallach and Joseph Klein among others. While at UNT she received a Presser scholar nomination, was a Concerto Competition finalist in composition, and was named Most Outstanding Undergraduate Composer. In addition to composition, she studied bassoon with Kathleen Reynolds, performed with various ensembles at UNT, worked for two years as a Supplemental Instruction Leader in music theory, and was a board member and officer of the UNT Composer's Forum. Her music has been performed throughout Texas, as well as in California, Kentucky, and Minnesota. She is currently pursuing a Master of Music in composition from the University of Louisville as a Bomhard Fellow, where she studies with Steve Rouse.
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