Mr.

Tell us about yourself and your music

I am a classically oriented composer as well as a conductor, arranger, editor, and educator. I conduct 2 college choirs & 2 synagogue choirs at present, and I have been a church musician (singer/soloist and director) since high school.

Talk to us more about your latest release

My last release was in 1995—an album of choral music based on Gregorian chant materials on the now defunct Arkay label performed by my now-defunct professional choir Voces Novae et Antiquae under my direction, which included an original work of mine as the final track.

What inspired you to write this release?

The album entitled The Gregorian Heritage was a historical sampler of Gregorian chant-based choral music including works from the Medieval era & the Renaissance as well as the 20th century. My work, Antiphon for the Holy Spirit, is a modern setting of a text by Hildegard of Bingen, whose own musical setting opened the album. Antiphon was written for the church choir I was conducting at the time in 1989, specifically for a Pentecost service.

Describe the writing and recording process

The piece uses canon techniques (like rounds, but not self-contained repeating melodies) alternating with homorhythmic passages (where everyone sings the same text st the same time). The idea was to evoke the sound of Renaissance music but use completely modern harmonies. I sketched it over about 3 days and rehearsed it over 3 weeks. It was recorded in a church on the University of Pennsylvania campus with excellent acoustics—no additional reverb required.

Any plans to hit the road?

None

As an indie artist, how do you brand yourself and your music to stand out from the rest of the artists out there?

I am still trying to figure that out…

Who have you been listening to lately?

Dan Forrest—specifically his Requiem for the Living

Tell us about your passions

Mostly centered around teaching & getting students to think about notation and theory in the right ways

What else is happening next in your world?

I am in the process of rewriting and expanding a little 100-year-old harmony workbook for use where I teach for, perhaps, eventual publication.

 

 

Thanks for an awesome interview, Robert A.M. Ross

 

 

Connect with Robert A.M. Ross

Website: http://www.robertamross.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertamrossmusic/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertamross/Twitter: https://twitter.com/profcompcondYoutube: https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCHkjtO-R8Rjfkwruh6SVigQSoundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/robert-ross-9

Genres: Classical

Source: ArtistPR Indie Artist Interview