The contemporary classical music world is best compared to an open field filled with dogs where there’s only one tree where they can relieve themselves. Around this tree they gather, ferociously guarding their territory against any newcomers who write music differently than they do. In 2006, frustrated with how few concerts I’d been able to give as a contemporary music composer, I began composing pop songs. This went on for 10 years.
My goal was modest, simply communicate with an audience. I knew little about the contemporary pop music world and, except when I was a small child and a Beatles, Doors and Jimi Hendrix fan, had rarely listened to rock or pop music in a serious way. The result was what I called Popcycles, groups of 11 songs in a variety of styles, everything from disco to country. The name Popcycle came from the song cycle idea of Schubert, and the grouping of 11 songs was from how the American Beatles releases on Capitol Records were arranged.
My working strategy was to avoid being too self-critical and just pump out songs. I was afraid if I spent too much time on them, I wouldn’t get anywhere. For instance, the cello sonata took me six months to complete. I figured I should just go for the law of averages and write songs non-self-consciously. Sometimes I’d compose four songs a day.
I hadn’t planned on singing them myself, but when I couldn’t find anyone to perform them, I gave it a shot. I’d heard about a popular “open mic night” and checked it out. Since I don’t play guitar, I prepared play-back versions of the music using the sounds available on my electronic piano. The first time I sang in public was intense; I practiced for a week. For the first show I sang a disco song called “Let’s Have an Orgy” (here performed later at a house party) and a country song called “Baking Cakes.”
The open mic was hosted by a singer just signed by Sony Records. They had been looking for someone in the Devendra Banhart mold and he fit the bill. I’ve noticed that when people first have good luck, they share it. The host liked what I did and a short while later invited me to open for him on his upcoming tour.
I quickly discovered the rock ‘n’ roll world is as competitive as the classical world. The difference is that clubs are always looking for groups. So, in accordance with my original plan, I did more concerts in the first year as a pop singer than I had in 25 years as a contemporary composer. I did several tours, including one in the USA.
Some younger kids—my career as singer began when I was 46—approached me with the idea of starting a rock band. I think they looked upon me, a teenager in the 1970s, as a sort of authentic relic of a by-gone age. They were very influenced by Black Sabbath. This band was called Schrödinger and lasted about a year. I was surprised at how comfortable I felt on stage, leaping around, performing various antics, being a rock singer. I recall the intoxicating feeling of physical energy that the bass and guitar transmitted through the air. When that band fell apart, I was approached again which led to a second band, Traditional Monsters, which lasted seven years.
Over those next 10 years I composed around 300 songs. Using a synthesizer, I made mock-up versions of all of them which were used so the other members of the bands could learn the songs. It was interesting to write songs for rock musicians; most couldn’t read music.
One night I was on stage with Traditional Monsters when I suddenly realized that whatever pleasure the venture once held for me, it had now disappeared. I finished the show and informed the other members that I was quitting the group. Among the last songs I composed was a 30-minute rock opera called Fandy Rant: The Smallest Boy Alive and a 22-minute work called “Totem and Taboo” after the text by Sigmund Freud which was scored for synthesized orchestra. These longer works heralded my shift back to so-called serious composition.
The last piece of contemporary music I wrote 10 years earlier was a mass for piano, organ and choir. I finished that piece and kept going. Since then, I’ve moved into opera composition and last year I had a production in Chicago of my chamber opera The Day the Dogs Began to Talk.