April/May 2025

MMEA Connections = More Performances

Although I filed final report with the MSAB  in February, the re-synth project keeps moving in new and excitiing directions!

After the "Informance" presentation at the Minnesota Music Educators Mid-winter Conference in February, two of the attendees reached out to me about giving a performance at their respective schools in May.

As luck would have it the schools - Owatonna Middle School and Medford High School - are in neighboring towns.

Their directors, Joe Zastrow (OMS) and Nate Kroshus (MHS), were able to work out a schedule that allowed them to share the project computer (with Ableton Live), 4 Novation keyboards, Focusrite Scarlett Audio Interface, assorted cables and USB hub.

Both directors allowed me to  take some of their precious rehearsal time to talk about how re-synth was created … Old man explaining tech to 15 year olds!

I am incredibly grateful to Joe and Nate and their amazing students for taking a chance on new music – especially when it's experimental and non-traditional!

More than a year since  the original samples were made with the WSU Symphonic Wind Ensemble, re-synth is continues to spread its wings!