** Best to Read BehindEars - This is the up to date blog. **

* Christopher graduated with honors from the New England Conservatory with a Masters in Music Composition and a Music In Education Emphacis. They were two fabulous years that included a great deal of learning, artistic growth and a multitude of great people.  For now it is off to Alaska for a year of what Bob Cogan called "Walden time." (rather fitting considering the high school english paper written upon the virtues of this place and practice) This idylic year will be spent fullfilling commisions, practicing counterpoint, improving computer skills and digesting the great wisdom emparted while at NEC. Well, that and all the fun odds and ends to make it work financially! (5-2005)

* Christopher is currently working on a new piece for clarinet and piano which will depict sonic portraits of his drive from Seattle to Anchorage.  This piece was commisioned by Michael Norsworthy for a concert tour that he is undertaking in conjunction with Marilyn Nonken.  It is being featured in an Emerging American Composers recital program.  You can see more details about the duo at Michaels webpage.  (6-2005)

* While in Alaska during the summer of 2005 Christopher undertook a road trip in order to meet the American (dare I say Alaskan) composer and educator John Luter Adams.  They spent two days discussing art, Alaska, music and baseball.  John is a creative and warm person whose work is very personal and profound, it was a pilgramidge well worth the effort. Unfortunately for John it does not look like the Mets season is going to pan out so well this year, better luck with the next! (7-2005)

* Christopher organized a concert in conjunction with his good friend and colaborater Wendy Richman (Violist) in Milwaukee WI.  The concert featured Wendy performing Christophers Circle, Tim Feeney performing improvised percussion on Christophers Sofater and Christopher performing on piano in Snapshots. It took place on Monday August 15th at 7:30 PM at the new Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, 325 W. Walnut Street.  This concert was in honor of the participants midwestern musical heritage. (7-2005)

* As fall comes to an end and winter sets in, Christopher is busy preparing applications for Doctoral study.  The piano and clarinet piece has an interesting off spring, which is a two piano piece that explores the same material (sound recordings of Seattle, Anchorage and 3 points inbetween) in a new way.  Finally, with the befriending of computer programmer more and more time has been spent staring at the binary device and an outgrowth of this is the new video light.  Make sure to take a look/listen and leave your thoughts in the guestbook. (10-2005)

* A new recording of "Snapshots" was undertaken November 26.  It features an updated score and the performers include: Yvonne Lee, Megumi Stohs, SooYun and Andrew Dowd.  It is currently being edited and will be available on the website in early January.   There are two new projects underway, a trumpet piece commisioned by Brian Chin and a dramatic vocal work commisioned by Nathan Krueger. The vocal work will be distilled and derived from a three-way discussion being compiled at the zncDrama

* During February Christopher completed the piece that was commisioned by trumpet player Brian Chin.  This new composition is titled aiOrb pljectanes. As with compositions before, this title was created by the composer in an attempt to blend words in a manner that represents how the music is blended.  This piece is due to be premiered in Seattle at the end of May, there will be an announcement sent out closer to the concert.  This month was also witness to a more dilligant pattern of blogging at behindears.  This blog is meant to offer a perspective from behind the ears of the composer, tracing the substance of Christophers life and perceptions.  So if you are currious about how a piece comes to be or what is inside Christopher's head or just surfing around, read on.  If there are any questions you would like answered in this forum please submit them. (2-2006)

The composition work emphacis has returned to the clarinet and piano composition. This  piece has been in the works for nearly a year and represents a great deal of thought, persistence and exploration. It is really coming together. Christopher was invited to attend the University of California Santa Barbara, where he will pursue a PhD.  This is a great opportunity to continue the artistic development and broaden his knowledgebase through research and production in the field of electronic music.  This will afford him the opportunity to work with Clarence Barlow, Curtis Roads, Steven Travis Pope and Jo Ann Kuchera-Morin among others. Additionally there is the CREATE center and the California Nanosystems Institute is due in the Fall of 2006. It is a very exciting time! (3-2006)