I spent last night (and this a.m.) soaking up some electronic wisdom from foundsound’s artists at inciting hq.  Previous collaborators Sean O’Neal (a.k.a. someone else) and Christopher Frank (a.k.a. tleilaxu) both performed.  Foundsound has long been a pillar of our electronic scene in Philly and I’ve been working with them since 2003.  So what do they have to teach a “classically trained” composer like myself? 

Too ambitious!  Exploring the past and future of western music’s evolution requires a semester (I had one hour).  As I frantically cleared and filled the board with concepts, the accumulation of black “dry erase” ink found its way first to my hands and then my face, and a lot of examples were cut for time.  Still, it seems Peabody’s computer composition students got the point… all the techy-toys in the world mean little without a clear perspective on why you are using them.  Perhaps the historical context intro was a strange way to spend 50 minutes before the very brief demo of my 3D music visualization technology?

Chopin said a good pianist shouldn’t have to practice more than an hour a day, but opinions vary.  Conservatory students might put in 8 hours a day, depending on their instrument.  As I begin to scale up my own practice routine in preparation for an upcoming show, playing the same few pieces sometimes dozens of times each day, I can’t help but think about the impact of all this repetition.  Might I not destroy the spontaneity of the final performance if I practice all of the risk out of it?

I was recently booked for a guest lecture at Peabody, where I will be presenting some of my computer music composition techniques and technologies.  I guess that means I’m an expert in computer music composition?  How did that happen?  It certainly wasn’t the plan when I started messing around with club production software five years ago!  And five years is really such a short time… it has gotten me thinking about the “expert” phenomenon a bit.  Read on if you are curious…

"Moore's Law," the famous 1965 conjecture by Intel’s co-founder, said that computer-based technologies would double in power about every two years.  For decades now, it seems to have held true.  But what are the implications for the evolution of art?  Read on to find out!

So I just got back from a show that included The Roots and Public Enemy, two of hip hop's greatest pioneers, on one bill!  Sounds great, right?  And even better, the proceeds from ticket sales, we were told, would support winter heating costs for disadvantaged Philadelphians.  Artists with a social conscience... bonus!  So why did I leave feeling like I'd been totally duped by a brilliant international political maneuver targeting our current president?  What could the ongoing conflict between capitalism and communism possibly have to do with the music, you ask?  Read on to find out!

I just flew back from a marketing consulting engagement with a nearby opera company and my head is still spinning with sales trend data... You see, I don't just compose, at one point I was also a full-time consultant to the classical industry.  I still take clients occasionally, allowing me to keep a finger on the industry pulse.  Although the traditional presenters remain the backbone of classical in America, I have to say, the national trends aren't promising.  True, some savvy companies are bucking those trends and helping them navigate the increasingly treacherous waters is worthy work, but the big picture is not encouraging.  If you don't scare easily and you'd like a snapshot of the situation, sit down, take a deep breath, and read on!

This blog has yet to cover education, a critical component of this company's purpose, so it is definitely time to discuss the extra-musical implications of what we do.  For me, it is not enough to simply create new works in the image of my personal vision.  I also need to create new composers who will create new works according to their vision, and hopefully, they too will take on students and perpetuate the art.  In the summer of 2007, with generous support from the Subaru of America Foundation, Inc., we launched a three week music education program at the Wharton Square Recreation Center and designated our top graduating student as lead instructor.  When that summer program concluded with a community concert featuring student works, we knew we were onto something important... something that warranted a long-term commitment.  Just today, leveraging Subaru of America Foundation's generous support, we've finished converting the Wharton Square summer program into our first permanent satellite studio for South Philadelphia youth.  This has had profound implications for the future of our education program and has convinced me that the long-term commitment model is critical.  If you are curious about what we've learned, I invite you to read on...

Hindemith said his music always came to him in a flash... like a lightning strike that illuminated the structure and details of the entire piece simultaneously.  Personally, I've always thought that was a load of superior German BS... he revised just like the rest of us... but today I actually managed to start and finish an entire piece within 24 hours (NOT normal for me!) and it got me thinking about why that happens sometimes and not others.  Is it really possible to compose that way all the time or was Hindemith just full of it?

Those of you who participate in the forum have already seen the verdict in the concert reviews section, but I'll provide more details here.  Was Rasputina's rock/cello show at the Troc last week a "recital" as the marketing claimed?  Read on to find out.

Tomorrow night, "classipop" composer Mary Bichner opens for the cello/rock ensemble Rasputina at Philadelphia's Trocadero.  What kind of night will this be?  Are we truly in for a "recital" as Rasputina's website claims?  Let us examine the evidence...

So you've all been biting your nails waiting to hear whether we managed to pull off a presentation of traditionally inspired chamber music in a Brooklyn club venue last Friday, right?  Read on to find out...

Hello world... let me introduce myself.  I'm a composer who was crazy enough to ditch his day job three years ago and empty his savings to launch a non-profit dedicated to music's evolution. 

Do a Google on "eric haeker" and you'll see what I've been up to for the past five years or so (no I'm not the vetrinarian, but the rest is actually me).  

Tonight, I am writing to christen the new blog that we've built into our completely redesigned website (launched a few hours ago).  In this blog, I intend to give you all a little window into the world of a traditionally trained composer who has decided that traditional works in traditional venues just aren't going to work... not that I have all the answers, but I do have some experience and perspective... and occasionally something really funny, strange, profound, or downright weird happens when you start porting so called "classical" into club and other venues.  I'll document the happenings herein.