John M. Kennedy Lecture Topics
Workshop: Wayne Shorter’s “Nefertiti”
This classic from the second Miles Davis Quintet recordings of the late 1960s is rich in harmony. Here I take the extraordinary approach of looking at Wayne’s tune through the lens of atonal chromaticism, breaking down the harmony and melody into its barest, essential forms. This culminates in a group improvisation using the ideas presented based on the tune “Nefertiti”, now with a richer understanding of the potential of the piece, and a framework for non-tonal improvisation.
Requirements: Internet access, sound system for playback, projection for laptop, amplifier for bass guitar.
“Speak Up!” Works based on themes of social justice
The talk centers around works used to convey themes of social justice. Specifically “Mnemonic Meditations, Book I” for solo trumpet, “Sidewalks” for ensemble and media, and “Monument li Dwerja” for baritone and piano. All three pieces refelct issues confronting society today that have especially come to the fore since 2017, and have reemerged in this 2024 election cycle. The talk ends with a preview of the forthcoming work, “Un dia en la playa” for two improvising ensembles placed on opposite sides of the US-Mexico border at Tijuana, Mexico, and Imperial, California.Requirements: Internet access, sound system for playback, projection for laptop.
Sample Work
Mnemonic Meditations, Book 1, B.T.
“Act Out!” William Roper’s “Experience-Dream-Memory” suite
In 2019 I was asked by the Hear Now Festival of Los Angeles to perform a graphic score of LA composer William Roper. I was presented a set of six graphic scores by the composer, and asked to choose one. The work I chose had more meaning than I had originally understood, and through deep investigation of the symbols in the work I began to understand how to express the themes of social justice through my music and creative process. If a double bass is accessible, I will perform one of these scores, and discuss how I use the sounds of the bass to convey the meaning of the work. If a bass is not available, I can discuss the same using videos from the premiere performances in the winter and spring of 2019.Requirements: Internet access, sound system for playback, projection for laptop, if possible, double bass with “classical” set-up (no condenser mic wires, string height approximately 6 mm).
Sample Work
New-Opened Eyes-1965
by William Roper, John M. Kennedy, double bass