The Real World awaits YOU...
"The world of music is a vast and ever-changing field that is influenced by culture, politics, economics, and ultimately through the performance of the individual artist. Artistry is realized through dynamic learning experiences that lead to personal accomplishment. The Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach is proud to offer these experiences. You are about to enter the real world of music that awaits you at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music." —John Carnahan, Director
...Welcome to our world.
Current News
Dr. Leland Vail honored at the University Achievement Awards ceremony
The University Awards Committee has named Dr. Leland Vail as this year's recipient of the Distinguished Faculty Advising Award. This is a huge honor and richly deserved.
Pacific Standard Time wins top honors second year in a row
Congratulations to PST, Pacific Standard Time, and its director Christine Guter. PST has been named the top vocal jazz group in the US. We are now able to announce that PST won the DownBeat Magazine Student Music Awards Collegiate Graduate Vocal Jazz Category for the SECOND YEAR in a ROW.
We are so proud of PST and their accomplishments! If you'd like to hear them live, please come to the Vocal Jazz concert on Saturday, April 28 at 8:00PM in the University Theatre. Tickets: $10/$7.
Composers' Colloquium hosts international guest appearances—April-May 2012
In April and May of 2012 the Composition Studies Composers' Colloquium will host several international guests:
- April 4, Gayathri Khemadasa (Sri Lankan composer, talking about her current opera project)
- April 11, Oscar Bettison (young British composer, currently on the faculty at the Peabody Conservatory) www.oscarbettison.com
- April 18, Justin Freer (LA area film and wind band composer) justinfreermusic.com
- May 9, Ken Ueno (composer/extended vocal technique expert on the faculty at UC Berkeley)
Film Music Symposium—April 2012
On April 12-14 the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music will host a film music symposium. From Nineteenth-Century Stage Melodrama to Twenty-First-Century Film Scoring: Musicodramatic Practice and Knowledge Organization is presented by the Society for American Music and the California State University, Long Beach.
For more information about the symposium, please visit: http://www.csulb.edu/colleges/cota/news/FilmSymposium.html
Cole FAculty Member Craig Richey Scores New Film
Craig Richey's film score to Answers to Nothing received a rave review in Film Music Magazine: "In such omnibus films as "Friends With Money," "The Gymnast" and "King of Kong," Craig Richey's proven he has a subtle, often dream-like way of musically getting into characters' conflicted thoughts. It's a talent that serves him well in the "Crash"-like stories that make up "Answers To Nothing." Richey hears an alternative sound for acoustical instruments, piano and troubled samples, conveying a tone of both understanding and apprehension at the missing person's case that links the film's disparate characters. Richey's work is subtly mesmerizing, his mellow groove powerfully contrasting with the rock overload of Nico Vega. Her raw songs scream with the anguish that Richey captures at a whisper, both approaches working well to paint an evocative soundtrack for L.A.'s, inter-connected naked city."
More info: http://www.filmmusicmag.com/?p=9117 (scroll down)
LA Sax Quartet Kudos
The Los Angeles Saxophone Quartet (Jay Mason, James Barerra, and alumni Chris Charbonneau and Roger Przytulski) performed at the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference in Arizona last weekend to a full house. Roger Przytulski's Hothouse was enthusiastically received.
Cole Alumni at North American Saxophone Alliance
Quintessential Winds and Yi Chen (all alums) performed the Heiden Intrada and premiered a new sextet for wind quintet and sax at the North American Saxophone Alliance last weekend. Alumnus John Hallberg competed in the Quartet competition and son of alumnus Edmund Velasco, Julian Velasco, competed in the High School Competition.
Catch the Caesar Martinez Quintet
Alumnus Caesar Martinez formed the Caesar Martinez Quintet and debuted at Break the Mold (run by Alums Alex Sadnik and James Yoshizawa) last weekend. His group will feature originals and arrangements of standards composed by members of the quintet, ranging from contemporary sounds to Latin jazz.
Nate Tronerud composes for Swordspoint
Nate Tronerud composed music for Ellen Kushner's audiobook Swordspoint (part of Neil Gaiman's audiobook series). Nate had one of the cues performed live last week; this is what the author posted on her blog after hearing a recording:
[title of post: Dept. of So Cool I Can Hardly Stand It (Swordspoint Audiobook Division)] "I am utterly ravished to announce that we have just signed Nate up to write new music for the Privilege of the Sword audiobook, currently in production and scheduled for June 2012. We will, of course, incorporate some of the Swordspoint music (for continuity, and because it's so *good*)…but I've been promised some new themes, for things like "Marcus & Katherine, the Young Detectives"…and, of course, Artemisia Fitz-Levi gets her own motif! Can't wait."
http://ellen-kushner.livejournal.com/386675.html (the comments are fun to read)
The author discusses working with Nate in this podcast as well:
http://www.jonathanstrahan.com.au/wp/2012/02/11/episode-88-live-with-gary-k-wolfe-and-ellen-kushner/
News Archive
To learn more about past news events at the Cole Conservatory, please visit our news archive.
