Writing for Everything Else

This course will examine the risks, rewards,
realities, pleasures, pitfalls, and hazards of
composing for instruments indigenous to cultures
other than one's own. Technical and notation
aspects related to writing for instruments played
by performers who may not read music, or who are
likely to be unacquainted with stylistic trends
in contemporary music, will be addressed. Topics
to be introduced within the context of the course
include: aesthetics; stylistic spectrums;
attitudes of players; navigating through
different languages; composers who incorporate
indigenous instruments into their oeuvre;
assimilation; and an investigation of the
appeal/privileging of certain instruments over
others.
Instruments introduced in the past include
shakuhachi, dijeridu, kayagum, ehru, theremin,
koto, tar, and many others. Students will have
the opportunity to record their final project
compositions with instruments drawn from the
course demonstrations.