Composer Frank LaRocca Discusses His Latest Composition, ‘Messe des Malades’| National Catholic Register


Frank LaRocca is the composer-in-residence at the Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music and Liturgy, which was established by Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco to provide practical resources to help parishes have more beautiful and reverent liturgies, and to promote a Catholic culture in the arts.

The recent winner of the ORTUS international choral composition competition, LaRocca was named a 2018 American Prize winner for his A Rose In Winter: The Life of St. Rita of Cascia, a major work for chorus, orchestra and soloists.

That same year, LaRocca’s Mass for the Americas premiered at the Cathedral of St. Mary in San Francisco. Since then, the Mass for the Americas has been performed across the U.S. and in Mexico. The CD recording released in September 2022 made its debut at No. 1 on the Billboard “Traditional Classical Albums” charts. 

LaRocca has composed music for a number of other Masses commissioned by the institute.

On Feb. 11, the International Day of the Sick, Messe des Malades: Honoring Our Lady of Lourdes, will premiere at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, California. EWTN will provide a live broadcast.

During a Jan. 31 interview with Register senior editor Joan Frawley Desmond, the Catholic composer shared the harrowing personal story that inspired elements of his new work, and he explained how the new Mass setting not only celebrates Our Lady of Lourdes, but also affirms the dignity and steadfastness of those who struggle with illness but never lose “their faith in God’s providence.” 

Composer Frank LaRocca(Photo: Kevin McGladdery photo)

 

You described the experience of composing Messe des Malades: Honoring Our Lady of Lourdes as “a profound spiritual journey.” How did you come to take on this project?

This Mass for Our Lady of Lourdes is one in a series of commissioned Masses that I have been asked to do in my capacity as the composer-in-residence at the Benedict XVI Institute. Archbishop Cordileone has chosen specific feast days and other occasions to be recognized through this work, with a special focus on the marginalized, the underserved, people who are often not afforded the special attention that their state in life would merit because they have no voice, no power. 

The Mass for the Americas, the first one the archbishop commissioned, honored the Mexican, Spanish-speaking Catholics in the San Francisco Archdiocese. It was a gift to them, to honor their faithfulness and their annual celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The second, the Requiem Mass for the Homeless, speaks for itself. One doesn’t ordinarily associate Masses of great dignity and ceremonial splendor with the life-and-death experiences of the homeless. And I admit I struggled with a conception for the music until I realized I was composing music for the homeless not as we see them — degraded and abandoned on the streets — but as God sees them: each one possessed of an immortal soul and with the potential glory of the most exalted earthly person. 

The third was the Missa Sancti Juníperi Serra. The idea was to focus attention on the true story of the Franciscan missions, not the distorted version that has come down to us in secularized media by people with political agendas.

 

And your new Mass setting, which will premiere on Feb. 11, the International Day of the Sick?

Messe des Malades honors those who suffer indignity with their illnesses and yet, through the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes, still maintain their faith in God’s providence. It also honors the charitable work of the Knights and Dames of the Order of Malta, particularly in the Bay Area.

The Mass will be held at Christ the Light Cathedral in downtown Oakland. The Order of Malta’s medical clinic is located at the cathedral complex, and the Knights raised the funds to open and support free medical care for people of any means or no means.

By holding this Mass for the World Day of the Sick at the Oakland cathedral, the archbishop also recognizes the order’s great work.

 

Pilgrims at Lourdes sing a number of traditional Marian hymns during sacred worship and at vast outdoor processions before the basilica, where they recite the Rosary and sing in multiple languages. Did you incorporate these hymns and other practices into your composition?

Messe des Malades is a Novus Ordo Mass that is sung in Latin, with a degree of solemnity and reverence that might surprise somebody only familiar with typical Novus Ordo parish celebrations.

In the Agnus Dei, phrases of the beloved hymn Immaculate Mary are placed in dialogue with the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” There’s this dialogue between the physical healing associated with Lourdes and the spiritual healing of the Lamb of God.

I gave the Mass a French title and also, to a certain extent, expanded my harmonic palette to incorporate flavors of harmony that are associated with a French style of liturgical music. 

 

How did you approach this project?

The spark of inspiration came from a very personal encounter with somebody who suffered a long-term illness: my older sister, Carin, who lived with multiple sclerosis for 37 years, until she died in July 2020. When I took on this work, I needed an image to contemplate that was associated with those who courageously battle their illnesses.

My sister was the perfect inspiration. She had an iron will, a fiercely independent spirit right up until the last few months before her death. She moved out to California for what would be the last 10 years of her life, and the two of us began to see each other on a regular basis. 

I was a different person than the brother she knew when we were both living on the East Coast. I had returned to the Church and was trying to humbly live my faith. I prayed often and fervently that God would allow the Holy Spirit to do his work and bring her back to the Church. Before she died, she returned to the Church, made her confession, and received Holy Communion.

 

Were you both raised Catholic? Was music a part of your family life?

Yes, I was raised in New Jersey with Carin, and my younger sister, Christine, by my first-generation Sicilian father and my first-generation Ukrainian mother, who converted from the Orthodox Church to Catholicism in order to marry my father. 

Until about 1950, my father was a professional musician. He had his own big band at the Hotel Edison in Manhattan. After interest in the big bands waned, he went into the retail shoe business.

But he continued to play casual dates, and every year, as a member of the Kiwanis Association, he’d put on a fundraiser variety show showcasing the talents of other members. That’s where I, as a very young child, got to see my father play his trumpet.

 

And you followed in his footsteps.

I took trumpet lessons with my father and started piano lessons when I was 9. After that, like almost every other teenage boy who saw the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show on Feb. 9, 1964, I wanted to be in a rock ‘n’ roll band. That’s what I did throughout high school, though I kept up with my piano lessons, learned jazz harmony and studied classical pieces.

The idea of making my living as a musician took root in college, at Yale, where I studied classical music theory for the first time and greatly expanded my knowledge of the classical repertoire. 

After completing my master’s and doctorate [in music composition] at the University of California at Berkeley, I got a position at Cal State-Hayward, where I taught music theory and composition and did what I could on the side to have a career as an artist and a composer — not just an academic composer writing crabbed, obscure music for other academics, but a real public career, writing for classical-music audiences. 

 

When did you meet Archbishop Cordileone?

We met in 2009, after he was installed as bishop of Oakland. Earlier that same year, I had returned to the Catholic Church after being away for 42 years. 

When I met then-Bishop Cordileone, I told him that I was a composer, largely, though not exclusively, of sacred choral music. He found this very interesting, and over the next couple of years, he had an opportunity to hear some of my music. In 2012, he asked me to compose a Communion motet for the Mass celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Oakland Diocese. 

After he was installed as the archbishop of San Francisco and had established the Benedict XVI Institute, he asked me if I would serve as its composer-in-residence, and I immediately said, “Yes.”

 

Did your early interest in sacred music lay the ground work for your return to the faith?

Yes, but I was never an atheist, I believed in the God of my childhood. It’s just that he seemed so remote and silent that I didn’t see what he had to do with me or I with him. In 1989, in the midst of a composing crisis, I was so desperate for help that I fell to my knees and prayed, “Dear God, if you are real, please help me now — I am at the end of my rope.” That prayer was answered in an unmistakable way, and this experience became the mustard seed leading to my eventual return to the Church 20 years later. The crux of this crisis was figuring out how to break out of the rigid, dry academicism of the music I had been trained to write. How to reach back into my given musical nature, to compose music with a more traditional kind of beauty? 

At the time, I couldn’t find any greater justification for writing this more traditionally beautiful music except that it was what I liked, and that was a very flimsy foundation on which to push back against the monolith of academic modernism. This problem sent me to the realm of philosophy and theology and, ultimately, to the doorstep of the Church. I saw that the Catholic Church alone offered an integrated account of beauty, truth and goodness, and the Church alone had the moral authority to truly forgive my sins. This is how I became a faithful and obedient Catholic — the search for beauty in music led me to the ultimate source of beauty.

 

Like your sister, you were on a long pilgrimage that led to your own spiritual healing. 

I should mention that, after I started the Mass last July, I was hit with a case of severe appendicitis that continued for many months. Even now, after surgery, I am still suffering the aftereffects of this truly devastating illness. 

I had never been seriously ill before, and it gave me a window into the experience of people who truly suffer from physical illness. That opened the door to understanding how important the simple kindness of visiting the sick can be. I was amazed at the consoling power of simply having my wife, Lucia, at my side through my three hospitalizations. And that third time I returned to the hospital, it finally occurred to me that I should be praying for all the other people on my floor who were dealing with illness. That opened wide a new place in me spiritually. 

 

Don’t you think our youth-oriented, individualistic culture encourages us to fear illness and even deny the inevitability of growing old?

Yes, and I am ashamed to say that when my sister was diagnosed with MS in 1986 and my parents called to tell me, I didn’t call my sister for over a week because I was completely freaked out by the thought of being related to somebody who had such a serious illness. So, in my experience, that fear is real. But by the power of the Holy Spirit, I feel like the final vestiges of these fears in me were purged when I found spiritual kinship with those who suffer.

 

What is Our Lady of Lourdes’ message to the Church?

What stands out for me is how she addressed herself to St. Bernadette. She told Bernadette, “Tell them I am the Immaculate Conception.” As the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady herself is a living symbol of the sanctifying power of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the apparitions and then the spring at the grotto at Lourdes, she becomes an intercessor both for those in need of faith and those in need of physical healing.

The apparitions took place in post-revolutionary France, just as the culture was beginning to acknowledge again its Christian roots. And it helped the French realize that destroying the Catholic Church would be a tragic mistake — an act of cultural suicide. St. Bernadette provided for us an example of the childlike simplicity of heart that we have to put on in order to receive the gift of faith.



Herman Whitfield III’s parents share humanity of son who died in IMPD handcuffs – WISH-TV | Indianapolis News | Indiana Weather


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A parents’ plea for justice lives on nearly a year after their son, Herman Whitfield III, died after being stunned and handcuffed by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

His parents are standing up for their son, an accomplished musician.

Whitfield’s mother, Gladys Whitfield, said police lost sight of her son’s humanity when they responded to the family home in April. His parents say, even though it’s hard to talk about their son in the past tense, they are proud to share some of his humanity.

There’s an uncomfortable quiet in the Whitfield home, but the silence of grief is extremely loud.

His father, Herman Whitfield II, said, “He used to serenade me on the piano all the time. He like to play different pieces and songs for me.”

Nearly 10 months have inched by since their son died, after police handcuffed him and used a stun gun on him. The sting of their loss hasn’t waned.

Glady Whitfield said, “Who knows what the limits would have been. He was preparing himself, and he was still studying. It also taken a music composition course.”

It’s been a trying journey but one the Whitfields boldly take. But, the love and memories they hold dear give them the fuel to push on. Rallying, fighting for justice, and now proudly sharing who they call “Tres” was. “He was just an amazing young man, and I am going to miss him.”

Glady Whitfield says she notice something in her son at 4 years old. His first piano teacher noticed it, too; he had a gift. From there, he evolved into a skilled musician, all before finishing high school. He won local and national Prelude music awards in composition and piano, and won multiple NAACP Act-So awards.

“It feels good that his music is out there. And people seem to appreciate it,” said Gladys Whitfield. “They’ve sent us lots of cards, and just little words of encouragement to say how much he left for the world.”

“I always told him he was gifted in the world is out there for him. Just go forward,” said Glady Whitfield.

Whitfield III’s accomplishments meant nothing, his parents say, to the police who responded to the family home April 25, 2022. Herman Whitfield II says his son had been disoriented. He’d previously had smaller issues, but nothing like this. Fearing a mental crisis, his parents called for an ambulance. Instead, police showed up. His mother asked early on, “They’re not going to kill him, are they?’”

Glady Whitfield now criticizes “the haste at which they acted.

“There was no emergency that called for them to act so quickly,” she said.

The Whitfields say their son was calmly moving through the home, but, as more officers entered, his anxiety spiked. The parents say they wished police had discussed with them possible actions, adding they didn’t realize he’d been hit by a stun gun until he was down.

“The officer that tased him, Stephen Sanchez. He was in the house for 1-1/2, two minutes, and he tased him,” Whitfield II said.

“I asked her (a responding police officer) more than once, ‘He’s not moving,’ and she said, ‘He’s OK. We only tased him a little bit.’ I didn’t know they had tased him.”

They say, while their son lie naked face down and cuffed, there was a loss in humanity. “When asked the other should we turn him over. And what was really heartbreaking he asked him should we turn him over? He said no. I don’t want him to get up. To me that was really terrible. Well, he got his wish. Yeah, he didn’t get up.”

The Whitfields say their son was a gentle soul, and the force he felt at the end is a wound that’ll never heal. But what he’s left behind for them and others, for now, will serve as a salve. “I’m hoping other people will inquire about his music and want to play it,” Gladys Whitfield said.

As the parents wait for the legal process to run its course, they’d like to work on establishing a scholarship in his memory.

Previous coverage



Kevin Puts, TF3 Among Classical Music Winners At 2023 Grammy Awards


Composer Kevin Puts and the genre-surfing classically-trained string trip and vocalists Time For Three (TF3) were among the winners in the classical music, opera, music theatre, jazz and visual media/film categories at the 65th Grammy Awards ceremony at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Deutsche Grammophon album Letters for the Future won not one but two Grammys. Letters for the Future comprises the world premiere recordings of two concertos by Pulitzer Prize-winning composers Kevin Puts and Jennifer Higdon. Both works were specially commissioned for genre-surfing classically trained string trio and vocalists Time for Three (TF3), who recorded them for their debut DG album, in company with The Philadelphia Orchestra and conductor Xian Zhang.

Kevin Puts also won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Classical Composition for Contact. His musically rich and technically demanding concerto grew out of experimentation with the ideas of unexplored frontiers and the greater beyond, and was also influenced by the isolation imposed by the pandemic.

The musicians of TF3 – violinists Nicolas (Nick) Kendall and Charles Yang, and bassist Ranaan Meyer – were presented with the award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo, a category in which Deutsche Grammophon with albums by Hilary Hahn and Daniil Trifonov had garnered three out of five nominations.

“I send my heartfelt congratulations to Time for Three and Kevin Puts, as well as to everyone else involved in making the outstanding Letters for the Future album,” says Dr Clemens Trautmann, President Deutsche Grammophon.

“The album underlines the desire for brand-new credible music and fresh constellations in classical music. Deutsche Grammophon remains committed to contemporary projects, as illustrated by this year’s nominations for Hilary Hahn and Andris Nelsons with premiere recordings of works by Michael Abels and Sofia Gubaidulina. It is hugely encouraging to see our efforts honored once again by the Recording Academy.”

Also, at this year’s awards, one of the great conductors of the 20th century has been knocked off his perch as all-time Grammy Award winner.

Beyoncé has overtaken Georg Solti to become the most decorated Grammy artist of all time. She made history at the Los Angeles ceremony overnight as she won best dance/electronic album for Renaissance. The win brings her career Grammy total to 32 awards.

The 41-year-old singer also won for best R&B song, best dance/electronic recording and best traditional R&B performance.

British-Hungarian conductor Solti collected a total of 31 Grammys over his career: an achievement which stood for over 20 years. He had been nominated 74 times. The maestro was music director of the Royal Opera House from 1961–1971. In a glittering career he conducted the world’s greatest orchestras, with particular acclaim for his performances of Wagner and Mahler. The maestro won his final Grammy, his release of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

The winners in the classical music, opera, music theatre, jazz and visual media/film categories at the 2023 Grammy Awards are as follows:

Best Opera Recording: The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and The Metropolitan Opera Chorus (for Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones)
Best Classical Instrumental Solo: Letters for the Future
Best Classical Solo Vocal AlbumVoice Of NatureThe Anthropocene
(Renée Fleming, soloist; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, pianist)
Best Contemporary Classical Composition: Kevin Puts – Contact
(Kevin Puts, composer (Xian Zhang, Time for Three & The Philadelphia Orchestra))
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: Attacca Quartet (for Caroline Shaw’s Evergreen)
Best Orchestral Performance: New York Youth Symphony (for works by Florence Price, Jessie Montgomery and Valerie Coleman)
Classical Producer of the Year: Judith Sherman
Best Engineered Album (Classical): Edwin Outwater and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for composer/DJ Mason Bates’ Philharmonia Fantastique: The Making of the Orchestra.
Best Classical Compendium: Kitt Wakeley for An Adoption Story.
Best Film Music: Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story soundtrack
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: Germaine Franco for animated feature film Encanto
Large Jazz Ensemble Album: Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra
Best Musical Theatre Album: The 2022 Broadway Cast Recording of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods
Best Jazz Instrumental Album: New Standards Vol. 1 (featuring Terri Lyne Carrington, Kris Davis, Linda May Han Oh, Nicholas Payton and Matthew Stevens)
Best Jazz Vocal album: Samara Joy for Linger Awhile.
Best Improvised Jazz Solo: Wayne Shorter and Leo Genovese.

For the latest music news and exclusive features, check out uDiscover Music.

uDiscover Music is operated by Universal Music Group (UMG). Some recording artists included in uDiscover Music articles are affiliated with UMG.

Rohan Pradhan on composing songs for ‘Ranjana Unfold’: The music of this film is going to pursue different shades of her life- Exclusive! | Marathi Movie News


After impressing one and all with his chartbuster songs like, ‘Angaat Aalaya’, ‘Kuni Mhanale’, ‘Aaple Saheb Thackeray’, ‘Saheb Tu

Sarkar Tu

‘ and others, music director

Rohan Pradhan

is all set to compose songs for upcoming biopic ‘

Ranjana

Unfold’ helmed by

Abhijeet Mohan Warang

.

In an exclusive interview with ETimes, music director Rohan Pradhan said, “‘Ranjana Unfold’ is a biopic on legendary Marathi actress

Ranjana Deshmukh

. She has always been a vibrant personality and had a lot of ups and downs in her life. She was from Parel Mumbai and was born and brought up in the same vicinity. I could connect with her personality immediately as I grew up seeing her aura throughout my childhood. So when makers approached us, we were extremely happy to be a part of such a legendary project. This is our second project with them as i had already worked with them for ‘Thackeray’

“I have always tried to do projects that give us an opportunity to explore music in different ways. I always feel people should remember us

Rohan Rohan

as versatile music composers rather than being typecast. And as they say, we are the Musical Kings of Biopic it becomes a great responsibility for us to create a musical world which helps the film in every aspect. I have been very fortunate to be a part of legendary biopics like ‘Sanju’, ‘Thackeray’,

Kashinath Ghanekar

,’ Rohan added.

“Ranjana Unfold’ is a musical and has 4-5 songs which in today’s times is difficult to be a part of. The music of this film is going to pursue different shades of her life and will help the story to move ahead. I am looking forward to bringing this wonderful musical journey in front of the audience soon this year,” Rohan concluded.

Talking about the film, The name Ranjana Deshmukh is at the forefront among the actresses who made the black-and-white era colourful with her all-around acting.

Born in Mumbai, Ranjana entertained her fans by playing various characters from 1960 to 2000. She entered the film industry at the age of five, acting as a child artist in the film ‘Harishchandra Taramati’. At a young age, she won acclaim by playing the lead role in the film ‘Asla Navra

Nakoga Bai

‘.

The film is slated to release on March 3, 2023.

What’s happening on music’s biggest night


A detail view of a giant Grammy trophy during the HBCU Love Tour Atlanta: Grammy U Masterclass at Ray Charles Performing Arts Center on October 10, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Terence Rushin/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Bad Bunny opened the Grammy Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles with a festive, high-energy performance that brought many of the audience including Taylor Swift who rose to her feet and danced near her table.

Host Trevor Noah introduced Bunny calling him a “global force” who is the most streamed and listened to artist in the world.

By the time the show started on CBS, Beyoncé had already won two Grammys, bringing her a step closer in her pursuit of being the most decorated artist in the show’s history.

During the Grammys pre-telecast ceremony, Beyoncé won for the first time ever in the best dance-electronic music recording category for “Break My Soul.” She also won for best traditional R&B performance for “Plastic Off the Sofa.”

Beyoncé, who now has 30 awards, only needs two more wins to eclipse the record held by the late Hungarian-British conductor Georg Solti, who has 31 Grammys. Solti has held on to the record since 1997.

It’s the first time Beyoncé has been nominated in the dance category. Her seventh studio project is up for best dance-electronic music album.

Beyoncé entered Sunday’s ceremony as the leading nominee including album, song and record of the year. If she wins in any of those major categories, it’ll be her first since since she received the song of the year honor for “Single Ladies” in 2010.

Trevor Noah is set to host the Grammy Awards this year for the third time in a row. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Muni Long — a best new artist candidate — beat out Beyoncé in the best R&B performance category for her song, “Hrs. and Hrs.”

Beyonce’s other nominations include best R&B song for “Cuff It” and song written for visual media for “Be Alive,” the Oscar-nominated song from the “King Richard” soundtrack.

That’s one of the main storylines heading into Sunday’s ceremony with several of music’s biggest names who are in the running for the night’s top honors — Harry Styles, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, ABBA and Lizzo are all among the nominees in for album of the year. Adele joins them in the record of the year competition.

Viola Davis is now an EGOT — a term for those who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony — after she wins for best audio book, narration and storytelling recording. The actor gave an emotional speech and emphatically said “I just EGOT” after she marched on stage to collect her award.

Performers include, from left, Bad Bunny, Luke Combs and Sam Smith, who are all nominated for Grammys this year. (Getty Images)

“Oh, my God,” she said. “I wrote this book to honor the 6-year-old Viola, to honor her, her life, her joy, her trauma, everything,” Davis said. “It has just been such a journey.”

Tattered streetwear, T-shirts and denim mixed with blinged-out couture, wild patterns and plenty of skin on the Grammys carpet. Lizzo wowed in a bright orange Dolce & Gabbana robe adorned with flowers and a huge hood while Taylor Swift wore a long two-piece sparkly skirt with a high-neck and long-sleeve crop top in midnight blue.

Brandi Carlile made a rare appearance during the pre-telecast for a major artist. The singer showed up after her song “Broke Horses” won for best rock performance and best rock song, a songwriter’s award, and best Americana album.

“It’s rock ‘n’ roll, man,” said a smiling Carlile, who jogged on stage with a couple of her band members. “I cannot tell you how much this means to us. We’re born and raised in Seattle. When I met these guys 22 years ago we decided to get into a band.”

Carlile co-wrote “Broken Horses” with twin brothers Phil and Tim Hanseroth.

“Oh my God, this is amazing,” she said. “Oh, I’ll never be the same.”

Kendrick Lamar extended his record in the best rap performance category with his sixth career trophy for “The Heart Part 5,” which also recognized his songwriting as a victor for best rap song.

The Tennessee State University Marching Band beat out the likes of Willie Nelson to win best roots gospel album for “The Urban Hymnal.” The band’s nomination marked the first time a college marching band had been nominated in the category.

Sir the Baptist accepted the award for the band, using his acceptance speech to highlight how underfunded historically Black colleges and universities like Tennessee State are, saying he had to “put my last dime in order to get us across the line.”

Trevor Noah returned for a third time to host the telecast live from downtown Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena. The show will include other performances by Mary J. Blige, Sam Smith, Lizzo as well as special musical tributes to the late musicians Takeoff, Loretta Lynn and Christine McVie.

But with 91 Grammy categories, most of the awards were given out during the Recording Academy’s livestreamed Premiere Ceremony.

There could be many other firsts: If Bad Bunny wins album of the year for “Un Verano Sin Ti,” it would be the first time a Spanish-language album has taken home the top honor. Taylor Swift, whose latest album “Midnights” wasn’t eligible for this year’s Grammys, could win her first song of the year trophy for “All Too Well.” An Adele win for song of the year for her track “Easy on Me” would make her the most decorated artist in the category with three wins, the others coming for her megahits “Hello” and “Rolling in the Deep.”

This year’s Grammys have also introduced several new categories, including one for video game music composition, which went to the soundtrack for “Assassins Creed: Valhalla.”

Ozzy Osbourne won two Grammys, cementing the metal god’s late-career rejuvenation.

“Degradation Rules” by Ozzy Osbourne featuring Tony Iommi won the best metal performance and his album “Patient Number 9” won best rock album.

Earlier this year, Osbourne announced the cancellation of his 2023 tour dates in the U.K. and continental Europe and that his health would likely prevent him from touring again.

This year’s show marks a return to Los Angeles after the pandemic first delayed, then forced the Grammys to move to Las Vegas last year. Noah hosted the ceremony as well, which saw Jon Batiste take home album of the year.

AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy contributed to this report.

Beyoncé, several of music’s biggest names in the running for top honors at GRAMMYs


Will Beyoncé emerge from the Grammy Awards as its most decorated artist ever?

That’s one of the main storylines heading into Sunday’s ceremony, where the superstar is the leading nominee and needs four wins to make history.

Several of music’s biggest names, including Beyoncé, are in the running for the night’s top honors – Harry Styles, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, ABBA and Lizzo are all among the nominees in for album of the year. Adele joins them in the record of the year competition.

Trevor Noah will host the telecast live from downtown Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena beginning at ET Sunday on CBS television stations and will stream live and on-demand on Paramount+. The show will include performances by Bad Bunny, Mary J. Blige, Sam Smith, Lizzo as well as special musical tributes to the late musicians Takeoff, Loretta Lynn and Christine McVie.

But with 91 Grammy categories, most of the awards are given out during the Recording Academy’s livestreamed Premiere Ceremony. It is during that show that Beyoncé could pass Hungarian-British composer Georg Solti as the artist with the most Grammys. (Solti won his record-breaking 31st Grammy in 1997.)

There could be many other firsts: If Bad Bunny wins album of the year for “Un Verano Sin Ti,” it would be the first time a Spanish-language album has taken home the top honor. Taylor Swift, whose latest album “Midnights” wasn’t eligible for this year’s Grammys, could win her first song of the year trophy for “All Too Well.” An Adele win for song of the year for her track “Easy on Me” would make her the most decorated artist in the category with three wins, the others coming for her megahits “Hello” and “Rolling in the Deep.”

This year’s Grammys have also introduced several new categories, including one for video game music composition. And several non-musicians, such as actor Viola Davis and Amanda Gorman, could take home trophies. A Davis win in the best audiobook, narration and storytelling recording category would make her an EGOT – an artist who’s won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award.

This year’s show marks a return to Los Angeles after the pandemic first delayed, then forced the Grammys to move to Las Vegas last year. Noah hosted the ceremony as well, which saw Jon Batiste take home album of the year.

The Grammys will be broadcast live from Los Angeles, starting at 8 p.m. ET Sunday, on CBS television stations and will stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.

This Is How The Music In A Movie Trailer Hooks You In


The music in movie trailers can be a powerful tool to draw the audience into the experience. With their combination of sound and emotion, they are designed to grab people’s attention and leave them wanting more. From upbeat, energetic tunes to hauntingly beautiful melodies, the music used in trailers has an almost magical ability to stir up excitement and interest. This article will explore several different ways that movie trailer production houses grab our attention with music and make us want to have a fun night out at the theater.

Intriguing Melodies

Movie trailers have long been a hallmark of the modern movie-going experience. At its core, a trailer is an advertisement that seeks to lure people into seeing a film they may not even know they wanted to watch yet. One of the critical elements in achieving that elusive goal is including an intriguing and memorable melody within the trailer.

A good melody will bring out strong emotions in viewers, making them more likely to remember the film when it’s released or seek it out and watch it before then. Even if people don’t remember every specific moment from a movie trailer, if you can recall its melody – either because you liked it or hated it – that’s usually enough to prod you into learning more.

If a sound has truly captivated you, chances are you will find yourself searching for information on the movie and thinking about watching it well into the future.

Fast-Paced Rhythms

Movie trailers are expertly crafted by Hollywood to maximize excitement, and one way that trailer producers grab our attention is through the use of fast-paced rhythms. Such rhythms add a sense of urgency and anticipation to a trailer, driving us to want more, especially for an exciting action film.

Music plays an essential role in this process by underscoring the action with beats and tempo, while sound effects create tension with cutting transitions during intense scenes. As time passes by faster while watching a movie trailer, we are forced to focus on key plot points and become more engaged with the story. With their strategic use of sound design, movie trailers manage to draw in viewers before they’ve even seen the film itself.

Pounding Drums

Movie trailers are a great way for filmmakers to give viewers a glimpse of their work, and great percussion adds another layer of excitement. When the rhythm starts, we’re typically hooked and can’t help but pay attention. It’s a powerful sound that triggers our natural instinct to watch in anticipation of what is coming next.

Inadvertently, these cinematic refreshers spike our adrenaline level according to the patterns set by the drums – fast rhythms representing excitement and slow rhythms depicting suspense. Drums are not only effective in eliciting an emotional response, but they also reflect cultural norms.

Their rich heritage brings back memories of ancient tribes and ceremonies, introducing visuals connected with life-or-death situations or triumphs over difficulties. Ultimately, using pounding drums in movie trailers allows us to become immersed in the drama.

Epic Orchestral Pieces

Epic orchestral pieces in a movie trailer have the power to instantly captivate us, drawing us into the story told on the screen. This kind of music stirs emotion and excites us for what’s to come, and its intensity can increase the anticipation for new films.

By utilizing soaring strings and powerful drums, epic orchestral pieces create an atmosphere that sets the tone of a movie in a few short seconds. Even if we only see snippets of filmed scenes, it can be enough to have a lasting impact on our feelings about what will unfold as soon as we sit down to watch it. It’s no wonder why this type of music continues to be used in film trailers that try to evoke suspense or excitement; they rarely fail at getting our attention.

Familiar Songs Remixed

Movie trailers are great tools to use in order to grab a potential viewer’s attention and what better way to do this than with a familiar song that has been remixed? It can be as simple as adding some bass to the chorus or completely changing the beat, but whatever the creative touch is, it will spark some interest in the viewers.

Free tools for music production are readily available and have recently made it easier for indie filmmakers to experiment with supplemental music for their trailers. This has caused more films to create unique soundtracks that will make the audience want to stay and watch until the end. Whether we like it or not, our brains usually latch on quickly when they hear something they already know, and adding an unexpected twist on popular songs within movie trailers helps draw everyone further in.

Dissonance

Music is a highly-effective tool in any film trailer’s arsenal, especially when it comes to generating attention and excitement. By utilizing dissonance—the jarring sounds of two or more conflicting notes played simultaneously—editors and composers can easily capture the viewer’s attention and leave them craving more. For example, The Dark Knight used this technique pretty frequently and to great effect.

Dissonance often works best when placed at strategic moments: when introducing a significant character or an unexpected twist, during a shot of impending doom, or right before a climactic action sequence. Whatever the context may be, one thing is certain: dissonance in movie trailers serves its purpose by creating an unforgettable experience that keeps us hooked.

Non-Traditional Music

Music in movie trailers has always been an attention grabber. That’s why film studios put so much effort and money into making great, compelling soundtracks for their advertisements. However, in light of the remote workforce revolution ushered in by the pandemic, there has been a surge of remote music collaboration, whereby musicians from around the world unite over the internet and create unique tunes for movie previews.

And collaboration efforts have never been easier. There’s so much free music production software out there. If you’re a home musician, any one of these could be your next digital audio workstation (DAW). Free music-making software is helping to revolutionize where we get our film scores from. Free music production apps also allow composers to work while on the go. If you’re looking for free music software, look to companies like Kompoz, LMMS, Soundtrap, or BandLab.

These remote groups can combine all sorts of eclectic instruments to make truly captivating genre-bending sounds that draw viewers in instantly. Moreover, artists are also using this remote collaboration approach to combine carefully curated pieces from other audio sources, such as rare field recordings or newly-discovered sound libraries, to aurally transport us to mystical fantasy lands without ever having to set foot off our couches. This new brand of remote music composition helps ensure that even the most familiar movies feel fresh and exciting when they hit theaters.

The Bottom Line

Movie trailers are a crucial part of the film experience, and music can be used to create an atmosphere that will draw viewers in and make them eagerly anticipate the release of new films. Whether it is a classic piece from an orchestra, an unexpected remixed version of a popular song, jarring dissonance, or non-traditional tunes, music always serves a purpose in movie trailers and will continue to be an integral part of the film industry.

Film Music Guild scrutinizes movie scores


Here is a closer look at a club that celebrates great music in movies, TV shows and video games.

On Thursday nights at 9:30 p.m., students head over to the business building and climb up to the second floor. There they gather in a room, switch off the lights and listen to music — in particular, film music. So goes the typical night with Film Music Guild.

Film Music Guild (FMG) is a club for students who love learning about how the intricacies of music scores enhance the whole story. Though the club’s name highlights film music, they also listen to a range of television and video-game music scores.

CURRENT LEADERSHIP

FMG president Alique Malakian, a senior kinesiology major, has led the club since 2020. She first joined in 2019 — her first year at Biola — and when the club sought for new students to take up leadership positions, Malakian decided to give it a shot.

“I said, ‘You know what, I think I’m interested, I could take on some minor role,’” Malakian said. She ended up becoming the vice president. “I was kind of stressed about it at first because I didn’t know what kind of commitment it would be, but I grew to really like it.”

Kobe Burton, a senior music composition major, joined FMG as vice president the year after Malakian began. 

“I’d been talking with Dr. Denham [a professor in the Conservatory of Music] because he wanted to get more music involvement in the club,” Burton said. “So he was like, ‘If we can get anyone from composition to be on the leadership team, that’d be really cool.’”

CLUB ACTIVITIES

In the regular club meetings, the president and vice president take turns or collaborate making a presentation for club members to enjoy. They analyze the melodies and harmonies, as well as particular instrument choices and how that creates the atmosphere to enhance a film, show or video game story. Occasionally, the club members themselves get a chance to present on music they like.

For one meeting, Burton created a presentation on music theory with the idea of going into depth on how musical characteristics contribute to a film — for instance, why a certain harmony works, or why a particular melody is intriguing.

Malakian and Burton also collaborated on a presentation about language and music. 

“There were some scores out there where someone’s singing, and you don’t really know what they’re saying,” Malakian said. “Sometimes it’s just a different language or a created language. So seeing how those words actually have meaning [augments] how good the score is, so that was a really cool thing to look at.”

FMG hosts a variety of other activities.

“We try to do some outings and some on-campus events. Covid has [made things] interesting, so I don’t think we’ve gotten on a perfect roll yet, but a constant after Covid has been going to see movies together. Last fall, we went to see ‘Dune,’” Malakian said. “In times when we weren’t able to do that, we’ve done movie showings. We’d just reserve a room and watch a movie. We’ve done ‘Inception’ after Covid [and] ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ this past semester.”

This semester, the plan is to have at least one movie-outing. Malakian also hopes to revive a FMG tradition of going to the Hollywood Bowl to see John Williams’ concerts and possibly host an Oscar Awards viewing party.

A MUSIC-LOVING COMMUNITY

Burton especially loves FMG for its passionate community. 

“It’s really cool to be around people who are similarly interested in any game or TV or movie score, and it’s really interesting for me because I don’t know every film score that’s out there, so I’ve learned a lot from Alique and from the other presenters,” Burton said. 

Malakian also appreciates the diverse membership within the group.

“In recent years it’s been a big mixed bag of people from everywhere,” Malakian said. “[We have] the film students, the music students, and the ‘casuals,’ which is what I would be, because I’m not [a film or music major]. So it’s really fun to just see people from every field at Biola enjoying the same thing.”

If you are interested in joining Film Music Guild or have questions, you can join them on the Biola app or email [email protected].

EA and Berklee College of Music Announce Scholarship and Mentoring Program







© Provided by GameRant


Electronic Arts has announced a partnership with the Berklee College of Music to offer a scholarship for one aspiring composer. EA Music, the division responsible for all soundtracks featured in titles from the publisher, is seeking one qualified woman or non-cisgender student in an attempt to help rebalance a heavily male-dominated occupation.

Video game music has been a source of great joy for gamers since the industry was first conceptualized decades ago, and it is incredibly welcome to see the wider sphere of musical influence come to appreciate it more. In just a few days, the Grammy Awards will announce the winner of a newly introduced category titled Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games, and the nominees include industry legends such as Christopher Tin and Austin Wintory. Tin in fact composed the first piece of video game music to ever be nominated and win a Grammy in any category, and it is the second Grammy nomination for Wintory, whose soundtrack for Journey made history as the only video game soundtrack to be nominated for the Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media category in 2013. But the musical composition for screens is also a disproportionately male-dominated field, somewhat demonstrated by the 4:1 ratio between male and female nominees.

RELATED: Bayonetta 3’s Theme Song Gets a Music Video

A newly established EA/Berklee Next-Gen Scholarship offers one woman or non-cisgender composer the opportunity to be mentored by EA’s own team on video game composition and is due to be announced at the Boston campus on EA Day. Steve Schnur, EA Music’s worldwide executive and president, stated that the collaboration is only the latest step from the developer and publisher to “inspire the next generation to pursue STEAM-based careers.” The STEAM acronym adds arts to the more commonly known STEM, which refers to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

Schnur went on to explain that a recent USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found women represent only 1.7% of composers in screen music. The Grammy nominees may present a 4:1 split in favor of men, but the ratio for the wider industry has been recorded to be 18.3 to 1. Schnur hopes that the partnership will aid in “developing a new generation of women composers.”

The figures present a disappointing reality for an aspect of video games that players have cherished for decades, perfectly encapsulated by the adoration held for The Game Awards Live Orchestra. Geoff Keighley’s most recent celebration of video games featured the iconic ensemble once again, thrust to new heights of popularity thanks to Pedro Eustache, also known as “Flute Guy.” His energy across the medley that honored each Game of the Year nominee stole the show and became one of many memorable moments from that night.

MORE: 10 Best Video Game Music Scores and Soundtracks of 2022

Source: GamesIndustry.biz

Multidisciplinary Artist Dorian Wood Blends Music, Collaborative Performance, and Art Installations to Create ‘Canto de Todes’







© Provided by INTO
We all have a story to tell and each of us have a nuanced way to tell it. Dorian Wood (she/they) understands this and harnesses […]

We all have a story to tell and each of us have a nuanced way to tell it. Dorian Wood (she/they) understands this and harnesses the power behind storytelling through her art. Soon, they’ll bring more of their stories to life in their upcoming show Canto de Todes (Song for Everyone).

Split into three movements, Canto de Todes is a 12-hour collaborative, experimental chamber music composition and installation. Inspired by a lyric from late Chilean singer-songwriter Violeta Parra, Canto de Todes is an ode to the folk music that raised Wood. The project uses folk music as a conduit for social change and invites attendees to engage with the performance forever how long they choose. 

With genres intertwining and bending in their music, the collection of songs within Canto de Todes are a part of a long-durational, spatial experience. Through the reworking of chamber music, collaborative performance, and an immersive installation, Wood creates a personalized and dynamic music experience. Additionally, Canto de Todes incorporates the work of local artists, as Wood intends to tour the production worldwide, forever changing the face of an ever-evolving project. 

“The format of Canto de Todes is meant to defy people’s expectation of the rigidness often associated with witnessing chamber music performances, and instead offer a welcoming space that allows for individuals to project their personal and communal joys and traumas,” said Wood. “My hope with Canto de Todes is to tour it as broad and wide as possible, mutating and expanding with ongoing collaborations with artists local to each region, and work toward a future of acknowledgment over inclusion, and of reparations over acceptance.”






© Provided by INTO
Photo credit: Laura Pardo

As a multidisciplinary based in Los Angeles, Wood’s identities strongly informs their work. As a genderfluid brown person, a child of Costa Rican and Nicaraguan immigrants, and an autodidact, Wood uses her art to challenge systems, traditions, and ideologies. A 2020 Creative Capital Award winner, a 2020 Art Matters Foundation grant recipient, a MacDowell fellow, and a Loghaven fellow, Wood’s artistry has been lauded and showcased globally. With work presented at The Broad (Los Angeles), REDCAT (Los Angeles), Museo Nacional Del Prado (Madrid), and Teatro de la Ciudad Esperanza Iris (Mexico City), Wood’s work transcends genres and geographical borders. 

Each movement of Canto de Todes works together to paint a picture of the urgency for social change. The first and third movements consist of hourlong chamber pieces tinged in folk, pop, and experimental music. The second movement is a prerecorded 10-hour piece that unfolds within the multidisciplinary center REDCAT

While stationed in Los Angeles, Wood hopes to take the piece globallyl in order to spread its message as far as Canto de Todes will take her. 

“My dream would be that five, 10, 20 years from now, audiences will enter their own versions of Canto de Todes with the curiosity of experiencing something new and of the moment, custom-modified for their community, and informed by accumulated layers of ancestral energy,” said Wood.

Canto de Todes premieres on Friday, Feb. 3, 2023 at 8:30PM PST at L.A.’s REDCAT. To learn more, click here.






© Provided by INTO
Photo credit: Laura Pardo