SYMPHONY FOR THE DANCE FLOOR

Hello Everybody!

I’m thrilled to tell you about a new work. Symphony for the Dance Floor is a collaboration with the legendary hip-hop photographer Jonathan Mannion, and features choreography by Millicent Johnnie and direction by DJ Mendel.  It will premiere at Arizona State University’s Gammage Auditorium on February 5, 2011, and then make its way to NYC for the 2011 Bam Next Wave Festival.

Here’s a preview track from the show, Begging For Your Affection. I’m wanting to combine contemporary composition with modern dance and photography, all within a theatrical setting:

Here are photos of all the collaborators.  I think it’s important we see everyone involved:

Jonathan Mannion, photography

Millicent Johnnie, choreography

DJ Mendel, direction

DBR, composer

I’ll be posting more preview tracks, photos, and more information this week so stay tuned!

the DANCERS, DREAMERS, AND PRESIDENTS TOUR: Cincinnati

Had a wonderful time bringing DDP to Cincinnati, Ohio a few weeks back, with that city’s world-class orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.  The incomparable James Gaffigan lead the premiere, and the audience seemed to have a wonderful time with it all.  The orchestra played beautifully under Maestro Gaffigan, and later, James and I met with an array of local politicians, board members, and hipsters from every corner of the city.  It was a great night of really wonderful food, wine, and conversation.

In the week before, I did workshops and masterclasses at Lakota West High School and at a really inspiring local hip-hop school, the Elementz Hip-Hop Arts Center in downtown Cincinnati.  Everyone there was really open to new ideas, new sounds, and new collaborations. I was blown away!

Here’s a pic from Lakota West High School:

Here’s me playing for students at the Elementz Hip-Hop Arts Center:

Here’s me with James Gaffigan, a wonderful conductor:

At a pre-concert discussion:

At a post-concert reception and meet-&-greet with some really informed and gracious audience members:

And in front of their massive music building:

Cincinnati is a great, historic music town.  I hope to return and share more music and collaborations with them soon!

the DANCERS, DREAMERS, AND PRESIDENTS tour: Miami

I’m in Miami, Florida working with the abundantly talented musicians of the New World Symphony.  I’ve been speaking at local schools, working with the wonderful conductor Alasdair Neale, and looking forward to the premiere of my latest orchestral work, Dancers, Dreamers, and Presidents.

Here are some pics from the last few days:

With the New World Symphony.

With the wonderfully musical, intelligent, and insightful conductor, Alasdair Neale.  He led the world-premiere and brought some much attention and detail to the score.  Working with my good friend, conductor, and music editor John Yaffe, we changed nearly every page of the score into something much more refined and rich.  I really thank Alasdair, and all of the musicians of the New World Symphony, for their time and patience in the process of making changes to the score.  It really was a group effort!

With students from Dillard High School and Miami Northwestern Senior High School.

The poster outside the historic Lincoln Theater in Miami Beach, Florida.  It was a good, hot time back home!  Next stop, Cincinnati, Ohio with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

PBS, CONFINED, and NWS

Hello There.

Just a few things to report.  I really hope you’re all enjoying this wonderful weather. The months between summer and fall are always those times when I feel most alive, refreshed, and ready for just about anything.

Tonight, is the national PBS broadcast premiere of Off and Running, a Nicole Opper movie I scored last year. Off and Running tells the inspiring story of Avery, a talented and troubled young woman from Brooklyn, New York.

This Friday, is the NYC premiere of Confined, an evening-length new dance work I scored, by the immensely talented choreographer/dancer Emily Berry. Tickets and the performances are at Dixon Place, one of NYC’s premiere venues for contemporary and experimental art.

On September 25 and 26, I’ll be in Miami, Florida for the world premiere of my latest orchestral work, Dancers, Dreamers, and Presidents, performed by the world-class musicians of the New World Symphony.

You can read the program notes in the blog below this one.

Peace to the tolerant,

DBR

Barack and Ellen

Together, they danced…

On October 29, 2007, Senator Barack Obama appeared on the Ellen Degeneres Show. Every guest of the show is invited to dance with Degeneres, and as Obama made his way downstage to meet her, she met him halfway, and together, they danced.

It was a moment full of obvious joy and humor, and the studio audience (and I imagine millions more  around the world) enthusiastically cheered and shouted for them. I did too. But months later, while the debates on race, religion, identity, and sexual orientation raged on, I thought back to those few moments and realized just how special, and meaningful, their dance was.

Here was a young, mixed-race, heterosexual man dancing with a young, white, lesbian woman, all on national television. Could this scene have happened in the 1960s, 1970s, or even 1980s? It all made for great television, and even greater theater, but as a composer, I was inspired by the total relevance of it all, that our future president had found yet another way to communicate the sharp wit of his intellectual prowess: through the comfortable ease of his hips and body. Obama, to some, has always been good looking, but now his dancing body carried political capital. He wasn’t just young; he was cool — and hot! And if he could dance with anyone, what else could he do? Isn’t dancing with someone just another way of talking with someone? Doesn’t a great dance partner make for a great conversationalist?

Dancers, Dreamers, and Presidents takes its title and inspiration from the 21-second dance shared by Obama and Degeneres. Each word of the title represents a movement in the piece, and each movement revolves around the instruments of the orchestra combining, layering, and “dancing” with one another. Dancers begins with a loud, banging solo for the timpani and drum kit, and the music of this movement is derived almost entirely from the rhythms of the drum kit’s low, pounding kick-drum. Dreamers begins with the ominous growls of the contrabass section, followed by the interlocking of small, constantly repeating musical vignettes assigned to each section of the orchestra. Presidents begins with the sound of a synthesizer and its repeated chordal patterns, but it quickly evolves into a hip-hop beat, clear melodic fragments, and techno-inspired block chords.

As a composer, it’s always been challenging for me to find inspiration in purely musical ideas. I’m much more comfortable creatively responding to the hotbed issues of our daily news, the struggles within our communities, and the heated debates that can happen in our homes. The original plan of this piece was to have the musicians clap their hands, stomp their feet, sing, shout, and preach (testify!) to the audience exactly what I was thinking. I even thought that Obama’s and Degeneres’ words would make for a fascinating libretto that I could set for a chorus comprised of the members of the orchestra. However, after months of careful consideration, I realized one of the most appealing aspects of instrumental music, devoid of text, was its ability to allow the audience member to assign his/her own ideas, words, and meanings to the music. The intrinsic, and elusive, nature of instrumental music allows us, both as listeners and as followers, the ability to hear the voice of the composer and complete those sentences of sound. In this way, listening to good music is like dancing with a great friend; it’s all about the partnership.

Watching Obama and Degeneres dance might not save or change our world, but it certainly says many things about where we were, who we are, and how we all will get there as “one nation under God” (or ”under a groove,” depending on who you are). Maybe the journey begins not by screaming at each other, but by dancing with one another.

So tonight, like Bowie: “Let’s dance!”

Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR)

Dover, Massachusetts

July 2010

The Need (Joe)

I first met Joe Melillo, years ago, when I was a young artist trying my best to be heard in NYC. Joe answered the call and has been a tremendous supporter of my work ever since.  He has allowed me to create, consider, and have conversations with a large and dedicated audience at BAM and throughout the world.  Those conversations are with the many young students of NYC, my fellow Harlemites, the Haitian community, and an ever-growing community of like-minded progressives, rebels, and outcasts.

Anyone who knows Joe can tell you about his voluminous memory, impeccable taste, and clear vision.  It’s a relief in a world of compromise, change, and excuses. I need Joe because he makes me remember what I never hope to forget: that art is an antidote to the ills of the world and a conduit for the free flow of ideas—and the systemic changes that come with them. I’m a better artist for having met Joe, and in this, I’m a better person, trying to have the best conversations that I can.

We love you, Maestro Joe Melillo—that’s the need.

DBR

The Need (Joe)

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I Don’t Want To Forget

I don’t want to forget about Subito Music Corporation, good people with the best of intentions, and a belief in new music and new ideas.  They believe in the ability of music to change and save lives, and we’re working hard on promoting my work, which I describe as the work of one little Haitian-American composer, borrowing from Bjork’s indie label, One Little Indian:

Subito

My work as a composer includes thinking about, and wanting to help, our world.  I don’t want to forget about Haiti, and how revenue and currency can only go so far.  My job, now more than ever, is to direct it all towards our island-nation, Haiti:

Pour Ayiti

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Tonight I’m conducting the Boston premiere of Symphony for the Dance Floor, with New England Conservatory students at the Fenway Center.

7:30pm

Would love to see you.

Dinner at Salts.

d

Woodbox Beats & Balladry

I have a new record out, Woodbox Beats & Balladry, that I hope you can check out. I’m quite proud of the disk and hope that you find something in the music.  It’s getting great radio play and you can find out everything about the project here.

Hoping your day is everything you need it to be!

DBR

DBR, LORD JAMMAR, AND BIG EAST BASKETBALL

ESPN

It’s been a bit, but just did some music for ESPN and BIG EAST BASKETBALL.  It features vox by the ever-amazing Lord Jamar of Brand Nubian.  Lord Jamar is simply a stunning musician, artist, and philosopher.  It was a pleasure and honor to work with him.  Elan Vytal created some wonderful scratches and effects and I’ll post those in a few days.

Here’s the published track called BIG EAST NYC and you can see all the games at ESPN:

STARBUCKS

Elan Vytal and I just played at the STARBUCKS corporate offices.  It was a very good time with great people, and of course, amazing coffee!  They’re a truly impressive company with a sincere relationship to the Seattle community. They have been sponsoring my MORE MUSIC@MOORE program for the last five years (I’m the Music Director of this revelatory program for Seattle’s youth):

A Mother’s Love in Haiti.

This is truly a remarkable, and heartbreaking, story of survival:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/01/22/haiti.sonia.flury/index.html#cnnSTCText