jseeholzer – Page 10 – Julia Seeholzer

Spring is here! Kind of!

By jseeholzer on Thursday, February 5, 2015

Whew, it’s been awhile since I’ve posted. A lot has happened since then! I started and (almost) finished my first year of my MM at CCM, wrote a lot of music (two choral pieces, a chamber winds piece, a cello and marimba duet), sang a lot of music (Adams’ “El Niño,” Beethoven’s “Mass in C,” Schafer’s “From the Tibetan Book of the Dead,” to name a few), didn’t get enough sleep, etc. etc. etc.

With only one week left of school, I’m happy to spend the summer here in Cincinnati, composing lots and lots more music (let’s hope!). Aside from my own projects, I also have some secret plans for some new Videri String Quartet arrangements, which I’m very excited about.

General Update

Finally.

By jseeholzer on Sunday, December 2, 2012

All four grad school apps that were due today have been turned in. I feel pretty great about that.

Two more to go, but they’re not due for a while, so I can take it easy. Or find other projects to work on.

Why is it that even after I’ve done all these apps all I feel like is finding something else to work on? I suppose that’s not horrible.

Ah well. On to the next thing, whatever that may be.

New Piece

WomenSing Choral Draft

By jseeholzer on Thursday, November 8, 2012

Earlier this week, I finally completed a draft of my commission for WomenSing’s “Youth Inspiring Youth” contest. It was my first time working with Spanish poetry. I’ve always thought that Spanish is a beautiful language, and it was wonderful to set to music. The poem I chose was written by two nine-year-old girls from California. Here it is:

[column col=”1/2″ last=”no”] Hay un Río Oscuro

En la alcantarilla de la calle

En frente de mi escuela.

Nació de la lluvia

Y ya no corre más.

Se queda triste

Con gotas de gasolina

Y un papel rojo

Que tiró un niño

Después de comer un dulce.

Pero aun triste y sucio

Lleva la sombra de mi cara

Las nubes andrajosas

Y en blanco y negro

Todo el cielo. [/column]

[column col=”1/2″ last=”yes”] [column col=”1/2″ last=”no”] There is a dark river

In the gutter of the street

In front of my school.

I was born in the rain

And isn’t flowing anymore.

It’s sort of sad

With drops of gasoline

And a red wrapper

Some kid tossed

After eating a candy.

But although it’s sad and filthy

It carries the shadow of my face

The tattered clouds

And in white and black

The whole sky. [/column]

Michelle Díaz Garza, age 9
& Rosa Baum, age 9
Watsonville, California

Beautiful, isn’t it? Over the next couple months I’ll be working with the WomenSing family to finalize the piece, which will be premiered in June 2013.