Part social networking site, part online classical radio station, part aspiring artist springboard, Dilettante Music could just be the new MySpace, with a touch of class. The site even lives up to its name; Dilettante Music recently offered its users something a little revolutionary: the opportunity to become the "world’s first Digital Composer-in-Residence."

 

The winner of this online competition will take home the title, as well as the chance to lead online master classes for Dilettante and perform an original work at a live event in 2010; in addition, the digital resident will take on his or her own Composer’s Corner blog and a podcast series.

 

Not bad, right? Hopefuls submitted their pieces in June, and a panel of judges, including the likes of Nico Muhly and Andrew Burke, chose three finalists; Dilettante members will vote for the winner, to be announced at a live concert at Wilton’s Music Hall in London, after a performance of all three finalists' works by the London Sinfonietta.

 

Voting is open through November 5, so take a listen to each and pick the winner over on the Dilettante site. If you'd like to get to know the finalists on a more personal level, though - you're in the right place: CTV News spoke with the composers via phone interviews to discuss their submissions, their passions... and their competition.

 

The three finalists' official bios are below, as well as the CTV News Q&A. (pictured, left to right David T. Little, Aaron Gervais, Chiayu)

 

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Aaron Gervais:

 

Born in Edmonton, Canada in 1980, Aaron Gervais earned a Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto and a Masters from the University of California at San Diego. Aaron’s music has been performed all over the world by l’Ensemble Contemporain de Montréal, Tapestry New Opera and the Arditti Quartet amongst others.

 

Aaron's original piece is called "Sensational Revolution in Medicine" - for a soprano and piano, with lyrics from Spam emails  

 

Chiayu:

 

A native of Banciao, Taiwan, Chiayu studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and at Yale University. Currently a Ph.D. student at Duke University, Chiayu’s compositional career has gone from strength to strength with her works being performed at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall and the Davies Symphony Hall.

 

Chiayu's original piece is called "Zhi" - for piano and violin

 

David T. Little:

 

Originally from New Jersey, US, David Little is currently studying for a Ph.D at Princeton University. An active performer as well as composer, David’s music has been performed across Europe, the US and Canada – including commissions from Carnegie Hall and performances by the New York City Opera and eighth blackbird.

 

David's original piece is called "1986" - for a string quartet, with the melody of "My Grandfather's Clock."

 

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Tell us about your original piece, the one that landed you in the running.

 

David:

My first 10 years as a musician actually were spent as a drummer, in a drum corps. The music we played was all this early American, Revolutionary, Civil War period. And "1986" was the year that I joined the drum corps. I quoted from the music I had grown up playing.

 

Aaron:

The piece is based on Spam - email text - that I collected over time. For me, audience is always important; it makes me very satisfied to know my music has an effect on somebody else. I chose Spam for that reason: I wanted a text that was powerful, and that spoke to today and the experiences of today. Also, those texts are carefully written to get at our most deep-seated fears - to get at the weaker sides of our society, I would say.

 

Chiayu:

The piece is for violin and piano. I like the music of Bach and Brahms very much - the way they write, it's contrapuntal. And also I like [Gyorgi] Ligeti's music; those pieces with perpetual motion, really exciting music. I thought, Maybe I can combine those two into my own piece...

 

And what about this competition, and its digital residency prize, appealed to you?

 

Chiayu:

When I first heard about the competition, I thought, What a great opportunity - because its is the digital age; people just use the Internet all the time. Having [the residency] here on the Web site is what attracted me.

 

Aaron:

I've been looking for ways to make composition more collaborative. A lot of things nowadays have increased in that way because we have the technology to do that, with the Internet; and composing is one of the things that's remained solitary. I see this as a way to add more collaborative aspects to composition. To have a blog, a back-and-forth, to get feedback on something as you're working on it, getting perspectives on the compositional process along the way - that's something I'm excited about.

 

David:

Access to classical music was limited where I grew up; there wasn't an orchestra in my town. ... The opportunity to have a blog and do postings, to have this hub, to reach a large audience and people who can't get to concerts or don't know a composer - that, in a personal way, is really meaningful.

 

Have you listened to your competition? What do you think? What does each bring to the table as a musician, in your view?

 

Chiayu:

Each of us all have very different music... and I think it's very interesting the judge panel chose three works that represent modern music in a different way. And I think it's interesting David used quotations from the songs from "My Grandfather's Clock"; I also knew that when I was little. And for Aaron, I think it's very effective the way he used vocals and how he combined voice and text.

 

Aaron:

[Chiayu's] piece is very much based on Chinese tradition - which is kind of a reoccurring theme with a lot of Asian composers; that didn't surprise me so much. I've only listened to the first 30 seconds of it, so I don't have a strong opinion on the piece.

 

David Little, I had heard of before, though I wasn't familiar with his music. I've gotten to hear it a little since - but he collaborates with a playwright and librettist who went to vote for him, but then listened to[my piece and Chiayu's piece] and then really liked my piece and started emailing me about a possible collaboration. And in the process he sent me some of the work he had done with David, and I thought it was really great. So I'm definitely impressed by his work and I hope to hear more of it.

 

David:

What struck me most of all was how different the three pieces are. I think that's really fascinating.

 

My piece was reaching further back - but Aaron's piece is dealing with email, Spam, you know? That's really interesting and very contemporary.

 

We know you're a talented musician - but is there an instrument you wish you played? One you've always wanted to take up?

 

Aaron:

There's a lot ... My principal is percussion. I started out playing drum set as a kid... But if there's an instrument around, I'll pick it up and tinker with it. I've tried playing the guitar - I took some lessons in the bass guitar one summer - but I really don't have any talent with strings. And I like to sight read on the piano, but I don't have very much technique...

 

Chiayu:

I would like to learn drums. Also, clarinet.

 

David:

You know, I really wish I was a better pianist; I really can not play the piano. I tried when I was younger, and in college, but there's something about it that doesn't make much sense. As a drummer, everything is about your entire limb, the idea of subdividing your hand into five little limbs is like... What?

 

So how do you get into composition mode? Any rituals or must-haves?

 

Chiayu:

When I compose, I sit down and think of the ideas first and the overall structures... And then I will try out things, write them out first, and then try them on the piano.

 

Aaron:

The challenge for me is to calm my nerves. For every piece I try to do it like the last one, and it never works. I always need to find a new solution to it: either sitting in a new place or using different paper or writing at a different time of day or whatever...

 

David:

It tends to take me a while - half a day or more - and to an outside observer, it seems like I'm wasting time: reading books, looking around ... kind of just existing in a space. But it's a period of settling, like an airplane that's landing; and once I get on the runway, I just go.

 

 

Visit the Dilettante site to hear each composer's work - and don't forget to vote!