One of three Queens-based composers who was chosen as a winner of the Con Edison Musicians’ Residency: Composition Program**, Matthew Schickele has written songs, string quartets, bagpipe tunes and orchestra pieces. In his final weeks in residence at Flushing Town Hall, we asked Matt to reflect on his residency and his current work.
Matt, how has the Con Edison Residency at Flushing Town Hall helped you?
Finding long, quiet, uninterrupted time to write is a real challenge. I live in a relatively quiet neighborhood, but I also live with three opera singers who love to practice (luckily they’re all good). I enjoy “commuting” to compose as well; at home there are so many distractions. Not to mention all the delicious food I can get in Flushing Chinatown that isn’t available in my neck of the woods.
What kind of work have you been able to accomplish during your residency thus far?
I am pleased to say that I finished my chamber opera during the residency. With the remaining time I will either work on the piano reduction, or finish up some other smaller pieces I have sitting around.
Would you please describe your opera “Marymere”: the plot, the music, and what stage it is currently at?
Marymere is a chamber opera which uses both classical and folk musicians. The story, which is a true one, centers on an educated East Coast couple who moved to Wyoming at the turn of the last century. He was a moody, unstable man, and she was eccentric and romantic — prone to sunbathing and playing violin in trees at a time when such activities got you branded as crazy. They were neither mentally nor physically up to the challenges the West posed then, and their story, I’m sorry to say, does not end well.
The finished score is being circulated to various producers and the like who have expressed interest.
Who and/or what are your biggest influences?
As a child I was exposed to a wide range of musical flavors: The Beatles, Schubert, Ray Charles, Beethoven, Shostakovich, Charlie Parker, and on and on. All these musics were treated with the same respect: good music was good music. This is still how I listen to music, with genre-less ears. Genre-less? There’s got to be a better way of saying that, but you know what I mean.
What has been your greatest success to date?
Well, not to be slippery, but that would of course depend on the definition of success. In music you must learn early on to find your own markers for success and hold them close. Sometimes the music you’re least proud of gets the most attention, and sometimes (often, really) what you consider your finest writing is completely ignored. These extreme reactions to your music can be very confusing, and need to be left in their context, not taken to heart.
What’s challenging about being a musician working in NYC? What is rewarding?
The challenges are many, ranging from finding some peace and quiet to write, to making enough money to live in this expensive city. And the sheer number of composers and musicians here can be daunting — so many people trying to stand out from the crowd. At the same time, that’s why we’re all here: New York City is the core of American music of all kinds, and living here is a constant thrill.
Is there any advice that you would give to a musician and/or composer at the start of their career?
You’re free. Everything’s allowed.
What’s next on your professional horizon following the end of your residency?
There are many things brewing, but all the big ideas are still too unformed to describe. It’s an exciting stage of this game, I find.
How can we learn more about you and your work?
There’s a fair amount to be found at my website, mattsomething.com. Beyond that, surf the web a bit: I’ve done a lot of different music in various different directions.
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**Each of the three winners of the Con Edison Musicians’ Residency: Composition Program received use of composition and rehearsal space in Flushing Town Hall, in Flushing, Queens, for a three-month period, as well as a stipend. The winners were selected through a competitive review process by panelists from the New York City music community.
The Con Edison Musicians’ Residency had its genesis in NYC Performing Arts Spaces’ 2008 study “Where Can We Work?”, an examination of how access to workspace in New York City impacts musicians’ ability to compose, rehearse and perform. The study was made possible by a seminal grant from the New York State Music Fund.
Funding for this pilot program comes from Con Edison, the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation, The Amphion Foundation, and the Reed Foundation. NYC Performing Arts Spaces developed and administered the program, and expects to expand this residency program, serving both performing artists and cultural facilities, to other locations and boroughs. To receive the first announcement of future residencies at Flushing Town Hall, sign up for the email newsletters of NYC Performing Arts Spaces.
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