World Premiere of Uncle Hokum’s Fiddle for 2 violins Pt. 2

At the request of my friend and violinist-violist-composer-tech guru and all-around badass Karen Bentley Pollick I wrote a 2 violin version of Uncle Hokum’s Fiddle (think Wieniawski meets Orange Blossom Special!) that will receive two performances in Mexico this month, this one on Virtuosos de Cámara’s Fiddle Fest in Puerto Vallarta. The amazingly versatile violinist Philip Brezina will be a one-man rhythm section supplying chop ‘n’ groove. I will post links for video and how to purchase the score soon. Virtuosos de Cámara’s YouTube channel can be found here. Details:

Tags | fiddle music, Uncle Hokum's Fiddle, Karen Bentley Pollick, Philip Brezina, violin, fiddle, violin duet

World Premiere of Uncle Hokum’s Fiddle for 2 violins Pt. 1

At the request of my friend and violinist-violist-composer-tech guru and all-around badass Karen Bentley Pollick I wrote a 2 violin version of Uncle Hokum’s Fiddle (think Wieniawski meets Orange Blossom Special!) that will receive two performances in Mexico this month, this one on Virtuosos de Cámara’s concert at Entre Amigo’s in San Pancho. The amazingly versatile violinist Philip Brezina will be a one-man rhythm section supplying chop ‘n’ groove. I will post links for video and how to purchase the score soon. Virtuosos de Cámara’s YouTube channel can be found here. Details:

Tags | violin, fiddle, violin duet, fiddle music, Uncle Hokum's Fiddle, Karen Bentley Pollick, Philip Brezina

LIGHT AS PAPER: an Official Selection by the 2021 Vienna International Film Awards

I’m pleased that my friends and collaborators at Evolve Puppets‘ beautiful live-action, wordless puppet film LIGHT AS PAPER has been named as an Official Selection by the 2021 Vienna International Film Awards in the category of Best Experimental! Music from my cello-piano piece Pas de Deux forms the score to this lovely work.

Joel’s the Expert for QOTD (Question Of the Day)!

A little while ago I sat down with friend/collaborator Murray Horwitz and we talked about one of my favorite subjects: The Beatles. Well, the early Beatles. Wait, the really early Beatles. No…  before they were Beatles, as in the Quarrymen. This time it was for The Question Of The Day created by Sarah Andrew Wilson & Joel Wilson of matchbox.io! Check it out: HERE.

Four By Sondheim At Stanford!

Guest Lecture at Chapman U!

This Monday night I’m giving a Beatle talk at Chapman University to my dear friend and ex-colleague Daniel Alfred Wach’s orchestra class! Daniel and I taught together at Swarthmore all those years ago. We’re gonna work our way up to… Tomorrow Never Knows. Yummy.

Happy Inauguration! My new song “Right In Front Of our Nose!”

Violinist Stephanie Chase Interviews me for Stay Thirsty Magazine!

Dear friend, and violinist extraordinaire, Stephanie Chase interviewed me for this month’s edition of Stay Thirsty Magazine. You can find it HERE!

Fall 2020 Newsletter!

My latest newsletter is up. Highlights: working to keep our elections free & fair; a Arts and Humanities Fellowship Program Grant from the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities; lots of teaching, including Beatles @Stanford, Writing for the Stage @Catholic, Sondheim in the spring; and Inferno is coming at you, fall 2021!  Click HERE!

Guest speaker for Stanford University’s Distinguished Careers Institute

I was very happy to be the guest speaker for Stanford University’s Distinguished Careers Institute (DCI) today. We had a great time doing a deep dive into the creation of the song Help! JL: “Stop it! Stop, stop… string gone” GH: “I’ll have to double-track singing it. I’ll have to do this bit singing, which is going to be even harder still.” Thank you DCI!