| From “What is your favorite tuning system? Why?” by NewMusicBox.org StaffI was always interested in microtonal music. Over 40 years ago I started playing Turkish and Albanian music which includes quartertones and other intervals as many folk musics do. And then, in 1972, I was moved to write a microtonal piece. I had a cousin who was unable to speak all he could do was make different sounds. I had to be dutiful to God because I didn’t believe in God, so I made a piece that was microtonal. I had some India Pale Ale. I saw it broke down my defenses. I bought a six-pack and had three of them, and I wrote the piece!I started to make my own system because I had no choice. I lived on Speen Street which was named after an American Indian so I was inspired to use a variety of arrows to show the different intervals. A man came to visit me one day named Ezra Sims. I didn’t understand anything he said, so I said, “Can you talk to me on my level?” But when I finally learned from him, I immediately wrote a book on microtones.I’m sorry for all you just people, but I’m un-just. I use intervals. My mind doesn’t understand all that mathematical stuff. And I don’t use specific scales.NewMusicBox.org Issue 17 – Vol.2, No.5 September 2000For the full statement, and to see the rest of NewMusicBox’s issue on microtonality, click here. Biography |
 KhotlynNotaRiotous Ensemble (Jennifer Ashe, soprano;Will Lang, trombone)
“In Full Cry”
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