Michael Colgrass: Most Interesting Composer in the World

Michael Colgrass is one of the most relevant, interesting, and engaging composers that I can think of - and I've never met him. I've only played his music, studied his music, and read about his life. Below are a few short clips that I know you will really enjoy. Michael is real and human - he is just like us. Born in the Midwest, finding music at a young age, and working at it.

Varsity Band is currently working on Old Churches, a great aleatoric piece by Michael Colgrass. Watch this short 3-minute excerpt from an upcoming documentary about Colgrass. In this video he describes his time living in the Arctic and his approach to composition based on real life experiences.

Did you know Michael wrote a ballet overnight?

Michael also performed on the landmark recording "Stravinsky conducts Stravinsky", a record which barely happened and ended up being launched into space.

If you are looking for help on getting started with your non-standard notation composition, here is a short video of Michael working with some middle school students on graphic notation. Rule #1: Don't be afraid to try anything!