In this episode of One Symphony, Juhi Bansal discusses her diverse cultural influences, from Hindustani classical to Western styles, and how she weaves them together to create powerful narratives through sound. Bansal delves into the inspiration behind several of her striking works, including "Songs From the Deep," "Waves of Change," and "Aurora," which explore themes of women's resilience, environmental conservation, and the beauty of natural phenomena. Bansal also reflects on the role of artists in driving change and her personal growth as a composer over the past 15 years. Join us for an engaging conversation that celebrates the power of music to create narratives that combine spirituality and nature.

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Thanks to Juhi Bansal for sharing her music and stories. You can find more info at https://juhibansal.com.

Juhi Bansal composed all music featured in this episode.

Songs from the Deep commissioned by the Oregon Mozart Players for the 2022 Sound Investment Commission.

Waves of Change (music, surfing and identity) inspired by the Bangladesh Girls Surf Club in Cox’s Bazaar region of Bangladesh. Performed by Ranjana Ghatak. Featuring Kathryn Shuman singing soprano and Timothy Loo on cello.

Flash, Glimmer, Glow, Spark. Performed by the Dusseldorf Symphony.

Aurora (for SATB chorus). Performed by the LA Choral Lab. Featured soloists are Kathryn Shuman, Molly Pease, Rothan Ramanan, and Zachary Zaret.

Love, Lose, Exile for Soprano, Cello, and Piano. Featuring Abigail Sinclair on soprano, Yu-Hsin Teng on piano, and Evan Kahn on piano.

Wings for Violin, Cello, and Piano. Performed by Pasha Tseitlin on violin, David Meyer on cello, and Nic Gerpe on piano.

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

In this episode of One Symphony, host Devin Patrick Hughes sits down with Ralph Patrick, a former pastor and Alzheimer's Association collaborator, to explore the profound impact of music on individuals living with dementia. Patrick shares his personal experiences and insights, discussing how live musical performances can engage, stimulate, and connect with those affected by this challenging disease. Discover the steps musical organizations can take to create dementia-friendly programs and learn about the cognitive benefits of music for individuals with dementia. Don't miss this thought-provoking discussion on the transformative power of music and its ability to reach the deeper, inner self beyond cognition.

Ralph Patrick, a former pastor and Alzheimer’s Association collaborator is the son of Jean who died of Alzheimer's in 2012. Her diagnosis in 2001 led him to join the Colorado Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. He has presented hundreds of education classes, as well as providing consultationg services for both caregivers and those living with dementia, and has been a collaborator and presenter with Boulder Symphony creating Sensory Friendly concert series, reaching thousands in Colorado and beyond.

00:00 Introduction to the Power of Music in Dementia Care

00:14 Early Experiences and Realizations

01:59 The Impact of Music on Dementia: Recorded vs. Live

04:31 Advancements and Community Engagement in Music Therapy

07:08 Orchestras and Ensembles: Engaging with Dementia Programs

09:56 Tailoring Music Programs for Different Stages of Dementia

16:59 The Therapeutic Benefits of Music for Dementia

18:51 The Role of Orchestras in Supporting Dementia Communities

22:10 The Deep Connection Between Music and Memory

23:28 Preventative and Therapeutic Benefits of Music

25:08 Closing Thoughts and Encouragement

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Thanks to Ralph Patrick for sharing his expertise and stories. You can find more info at https://www.alz.org or https://bouldersymphony.org/outreach/ or linkedin.com/in/ralph-patrick-69734215

Musical selections on this episode today include

1. Bach - Air from Orchestral Suite no. 3 in D major BWV 1068 Performed by the Netherlands Bach Society
2. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Symphony No 5 in E minor op. 64 Sergiu Celibidache conducts the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra
3. Mozart Divertimento in D Major, K. 136 "Salzburg Symphony No. 1": II. Andante · Ton Koopman conducts the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra
4. The Syncopated Clock · Leroy Anderson, conducted by Leroy Anderson
5. Shostakovich: Jazz Suite No. 2 - VI. Waltz II Riccardo Chailly conducts the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
6. Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 In F, Op. 68 -"Pastoral" – First movement -- Herbert von Karajan conducts the Berliner Philharmonic

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

In this episode of One Symphony, host Devin Patrick Hughes welcomes rising star composer, performer, and educator Brittany Green to discuss her boundary-pushing work and perspective on the future of classical music in the 21st century.

Green, who started out in music education before pivoting to composition in her 20s, brings a multifaceted approach to her practice. Through projects like the Young Composers Project, she blends her interests in composing and teaching, working with K-5 students to collaboratively create music using tools like Max MSP. During the pandemic shutdowns, Green delved further into live electronics and narration as a form of performance, drawing inspiration from artists in the black arts and poetry space to bring fresh aesthetics to her classical compositions.

A major theme in Green's music is the "construction, displacement and rupturing of systems." She sees composers throughout history, from Beethoven onwards, as mold-breakers who redefined expectations. Green explores concepts like building and dismantling rhythmic structures, and cutting through established textures and timbres, to allow new musical ideas to emerge from the breakage and slippage. Pieces like "Against Sharp" express this through incessant repeated notes that slowly erode into legato lines and expanded harmonic material. Intellectually, Green relates this to the ideas of cultural scholars like Bell Hooks and José Muñoz around disrupting systems of domination from the margins.

When it comes to expanding classical music's reach, Green emphasized the importance of authentic community engagement. Through her "community engaged residencies" with orchestras around the country, she aims to have genuine dialogue with communities about their interests and needs, rather than just bestowing a pre-packaged experience upon them. Finding collaborators within communities and among outside artists doing impactful work elsewhere allows for rich cross-pollination of ideas. Regional orchestras especially are well-positioned to connect with local institutions and build meaningful, reverberating programming.

Green sees opportunities to lead audiences to appreciate new musical experiences they "don't know they don't know." While some may assume anything written recently is inaccessibly avant-garde, the reality is new classical music spans a wide range of genres and aesthetics. With creative programming that makes unexpected connections between old and new works, and provides helpful context, orchestras can open listeners' minds and excite their curiosity to discover fresh voices.

Even as artificial intelligence emerges as a tool for music creation, Green believes the most vital qualities of composition will remain the domain of humans. AI may be able to generate music that is theoretically "correct," but it is the element of surprise, of flouting expectations in ways only a human can anticipate, that makes music truly interesting. Moreover, the physically and emotionally resonant experience of making and sharing live music, and literally feeling sound together in community, is not something AI can replicate.

Incorporating interdisciplinary storytelling is another way Green seeks to connect on a deep level. Her piece "Garden On Green Street" features recorded interviews with her mother and aunt musically manipulated to form an intergenerational dialogue with ancestors. The multimedia work "Thresh and Hold" transforms sounds like chains and rocks collected from her family's land into instruments channeling memories of slavery and freedom.

Green's compositions often explore themes of constructing, displacing, and disrupting systems. Drawing inspiration from composers throughout history who defied conventions, she employs techniques like developing and dismantling rhythmic structures, and allowing new musical ideas to emerge from ruptured textures and timbres. Works such as "Against Sharp" exemplify this approach, while engaging with cultural theories around subverting dominant paradigms from the margins. As Green eloquently stated, "I find a lot of excitement in that for me, that unfolds in looking at rhythmic structures that I can build over time and then slowly dismantle or maybe quickly dismantle and completely break and explore what music comes out of that breakage in that slippage of rupture."