In anticipation of our upcoming concert, we interviewed composer Lavell Blackwell to learn more about his background and thought process in composing a new piece for Winsor Music, On the Impulse to Move. We hope you’ll join us on September 30th to hear the premiere of this piece and a lively program that celebrates the connection between music and dance!

How did you get started composing? What was your early musical training?

I've been writing music since I was about 15-16 years old--back when I discovered music notation software. Usually short pieces--songs and piano ditties, etc. I'd say my first semi-serious efforts in composition started in undergrad at Oberlin, when I started arranging for my a cappella group, In-A-Chord. I had this idea that instead of the usual "soloist and vocal accompaniment" model of a lot of a cappella groups, I'd take a more egalitarian approach to my arrangements. So all the sections got a piece of the melody at some point, even the basses. And I put the focus on group singing--more like a choir. It led to some very creative arrangements, bordering on original compositions. I didn't start studying "classical" composition until I became a Continuing Ed. student at Mannes in 2013. This was after getting my MFA in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU.

You have an MFA in Musical Theater Writing from New York University. Tell us a little more about your interest in musical theater and how it influences your music today.

I've always loved to explore story, image and metaphor in my music. I write so-called "pure music" less often. The main focus of the NYU program was storytelling through the music, and so I think that's where that interest comes from. My first serious score study was looking at scores for musicals--"Rent," "Sweeney Todd," "A Chorus Line," etc. So my music often draws inspiration from things other than musical ideas. Even "On the Impulse to Move," while not telling a story per se, takes inspiration from experiences I had that are not related to music. But I often use the language of music to get at the ideas, the emotions, the experience. That's the influence of musical theater.

What is it like teaching at Berkelee?

It's great, and also a challenge. I trained at conservatories and teach classes based on 18th and 19th century musical techniques, and it's a different kind of vibe at a school that focuses on jazz and pop! It's fun, though. I feel like I'm building bridges between different styles and eras in the Composition Department. I've learned a ton from the students there.

How is your new piece influenced by Stevie Wonder and John Adams? (is this still the case? We know you wrote that months ago!)

I'd say the influence of Stevie Wonder got a little less obvious as the piece evolved to its present form, but it's still present in some of the funkier harmonies. The John Adams is coming through in the pulsing 16th notes I use in the first section of the piece--and I'd say somewhat in the 3rd section as well.

What is your relationship to meditation and stillness in this new work?

This piece is about how hard it is for me to remain physically or mentally still, that struggle, those tensions that happened in my body and brain during meditation. So, I'd say the relationship to stillness and meditation is...adversarial? Adversarial, but not mocking--at least I think. A lot of the work is this interplay between stasis and volatility, the pulsing rhythms combined with the suddenly changing harmonies and dynamics, for example.

Anything else you would like to tell us about this piece? We can’t wait to play and share it with our audience!!

The piece has a quirky humor to it. I hope that comes through for listeners and that they enjoy that aspect of it.