Daniel bernard roumain biography of alberta

Violinist, composer, measuring tape company executive

An African American player, composer, musician, performer, recording virtuoso, educator, lecturer, and record observer founder, Daniel Bernard Roumain equitable considered a rising star, skilful classical composer who is dynamic the face of concert concerto through his affinity for virgin sounds and his distinctive observable appearance.

Roumain (who goes by virtue of his initials, DBR) has anachronistic credited with helping to redefine the form and broaden authority scope of classical music, abrasive it a fresh relevance, exceptionally among young people. In dominion works, DBR has combined classically influenced pieces with musical genres such as jazz, rock, electronica, and, especially, hip-hop.

He writes for orchestra, chamber orchestra, faithful quartet, solo instrument, voice, cope with rock band. The compositions stage DBR's main instrument, the fabricated, with a variety of ambient and electronic sounds, such on account of spoken dialogue and sampled beatniks. He often works with DJs, dancers, and performance artists, in the same way well as with other composers and musicians such as bohemian composer Philip Glass, jazz nightingale Cassandra Wilson, and turntable maestro DJ Spooky (Paul Miller).

Characteristically, DBR draws on African American subjects and themes for his output, often using issues of recollection as his inspiration.

For occasion, he dedicated a series recompense string quartets to prominent poll in the civil rights movement: Malcolm X; Martin Luther Regent, Jr.; Adam Clayton Powell; leading Maya Angelou. Compared to authoritative composers Mozart and Beethoven, similarly well as to funk-rockers Emperor and Lenny Kravitz, DBR appears onstage wearing dreadlocks, piercings, good turn tattoos, a look that captures the attention of younger audiences.

As an educator, he obey well known as the father of the Young Composers Announcement that is part of magnanimity Orchestra of St. Luke's diminution New York City, where noteworthy is assistant composer-in-residence. As reveal of his curriculum, he has introduced youthful composers and line players to classical music tasteful with hip-hop, and has lyrical them to compose pieces block their own styles.

DBR plays approximately twenty instruments, including violoncello, piano, guitar, bass, viola, gleam drums, and also does desultory vocals. He also leads DBR's Mission, an eight-piece band drift includes an amplified string gathering as well as a bassist, drummer, keyboardist, and DJ.

Discovered ethics Violin at Five

Born in Skokie, Illinois, a suburb of City, DBR moved to southern Florida as a small child dispatch grew up in the Gather Lauderdale area.

His parents, immigrants from Haiti, had a resonant impact on his musical event. They introduced him to Land folk music as well trade in to a wide variety help classical and contemporary music. By the same token a youngster he listened curry favor the country/rock band the Eagles, Swedish popsters ABBA, R&B story Stevie Wonder, the works produce Beethoven, and ethnic music pass up the Cuban, Bahaman, Dominican, captain Puerto Rican communities in meridional Florida.

At the age mock five he became infatuated understand the violin. He began absorbed under the tutelage of mr big Mitch Miller, who had shipshape and bristol fashion popular television series in leadership 1960s, and started to make reference to in orchestras. As a sixth-grader, DBR played the electric bass and synthesizer in his depart band, which performed rock extremity hip-hop.

As a student trite Dillard High School for authority Performing Arts in Sunrise, Florida, he played in the high school jazz orchestra, backing such conspicuous musicians as Dizzy Gillespie cranium Ray Charles. After graduating go over the top with high school, DBR almost unlaced college because he was stage and playing for the obviously ribald Florida rap group 2Live Crew.

Eventually, DBR's father certain him to attend Vanderbilt Creation in Nashville, where he was awarded a full scholarship. Majoring in composition, he graduated nuisance honors in 1993, and next earned master's and doctoral graduation from the University of Lake in Ann Arbor, where appease also conducted classical works.

Delete 1998 he headed for Additional York City, settling in Harlem, a place with a moneyed political and cultural heritage zigzag influenced his music.

Played Hip-Hop encounter Carnegie Hall

After arriving in Different York, DBR worked as a- rehearsal pianist for dance companies, among them the Julliard Educational institution, Joffrey Ballet, Dance Theatre pan Harlem, Martha Graham School sequester Contemporary Dance, and Alvin Choreographer American Dance Center (now goodness Ailey School).

He worked pass for much as 14 hours marvellous day, seven days a period, while also working on rule own compositions. In 1999 good taste won the Helen F. Whitaker Commission, an award given utility him for his work Harlem Essay for Orchestra and Digital Audio Tape. DBR performed that composition at Carnegie Hall tutor in 1999, thus becoming the extreme artist to perform hip-hop put in the bank that prestigious venue.

In 2000 the American Composers Orchestra wrap up Harlem Essay at Carnegie Foyer as a world premiere. DBR's performance brought him to nobleness attention of Philip Glass, who became a major influence ambition his work, as well likewise a future collaborator. DBR additionally met dancer/choreographer Bill T.

Linksman, who directed the Bill Well-organized. Jones/Arnie Zanes Dance Company. Architect commissioned DBR to write prestige music for The Breathing Show (1999), a program that incorporated movement, music, and film. Unfilled also included an improvised opus between DBR and Jones, at the latter danced to honesty music of the former.

DBR has credited Jones with cut him to learn performance adeptness. In 2002 DBR became justness musical director of the group of pupils, the first in its 20-year history.

For the Record …

Born aphorism. 1971, in Skokie, IL; daughter of Haitian immigrants. Education: Moneyman University, Nashville, TN, bachelor make out music degree (cum laude), 1993; University of Michigan, Ann Arbour, MI, master of music condition, 1995; doctor of musical study, 2000.

Began playing the violin renounce five in Florida orchestras; razorback Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, deed others; worked with rappers 2Live Crew as producer and artiste when just out of extreme school; original composition Harlem Combination for Orchestra performed by Moneyman University Orchestra, 1993; played makeup Harlem Essay for Orchestra brook Digital Audio Tape at Altruist Hall, New York City, 1999; became composer-in-residence and chair see music department, Harlem School assiduousness the Arts; became assistant composer-in-residence for St.

Luke's Chamber Bind, 2002; composition Human Songs become more intense Stories performed by San Antonio Symphony Orchestra, 2002; initiated Dredlin Music Projects for school-age breed and communities, 2003; composition Hip-Hop Essay for Orchestra performed gross Dallas and Memphis Symphonies, 2003; conducted Buffalo and Seattle Symphony Orchestras, 2004; collaborated with blues vocalist Cassandra Wilson and electronica artist DJ Spooky, and counterfeit with 100-piece "rockestra," 2004; collaborated with composer Philip Glass, 2005.

Awards: Silver Knight Award (Miami-Dade Division, FL), 1989; Benjamin E.

Ballplayer Award for Academic Excellence, 1991-92; University of Michigan, Rackham Worth Fellowship Award, 1993-98; American Composers Orchestra, Helen F. Whitaker Forty winks, 1999; Meet the Composer, Inc., Grant Awards, 1999-2001; Meet significance Composer, Inc., Van Lier Boy, 2002; Creative Capital Grant Awardee, 2002; American Music Center Untrustworthy Assistant Program Grant, 2002; New York Resident magazine, Top Century New Yorkers, 2005.

Addresses: Record company—Miscellaneous Records, 203 N.

Washington St., Ypsilanti, MI 48197, website: http://www.miscellaneousrecords.com. Management—Fine Arts Management, 201 Unguarded. 54th St., … 1C, Newborn York, NY 10019, phone: (212) 974-2470. Website—Daniel Bernard Roumain Legal Website: http://www.dbrmusic.com.

Praised for Quality match Compositions

As a composer, DBR has been recognized for his boldness, innovation, and musical sophistication.

Cart his Harlem Essay, DBR taped the sounds of the area's main thoroughfare, 125th Street, thanks to well as the recollections strip off some of its residents. Rank composer then played the tapes against an orchestral background, which meshed European-style concert music concentrate on the rhythms of hip-hop. Spontaneous Hip-Hop Studies and Etudes, Tome I, a composition modeled rear 1 the work of Glass, DBR wrote for two violins president a cello.

He presented tune cells, or short compositions reaction major and minor keys, mount musicians were encouraged to shift and repeat any portion describe the cells as they apophthegm fit, much as DJs uproar with the music they specimen. Writing about Hip-Hop Studies arena Etudes in the New Royalty Times, Allan Kozinn stated, "True to form, they vary desperately in style, from slow, introverted Neo-Classical ruminations to rhythmically farflung, riffy pieces that would whine be out of place take away a dance club." DBR household a work that he wrote for Jones's dance company, Reading, Mercy and the Artificial Nigger, on a short story beside Southern writer Flannery O'Connor.

Fulfil the original production, Jones cope with actress Susan Sarandon spoke O'Connor's words against music based estimate Protestant hymns. The music was provided by piano, violin, discipline cello, as well as stomach-turning an audio montage of electronic and ambient sounds. The lessons was considered unique because well-found has no written score.

Despite the fact that DBR wrote one, he dispensed with it when he observed that the narrators could cry read music. In order round on compensate, he had his composer sit by the narrators explode play variations based on righteousness themes of their words.

Released Beginning Recordings

In 2000 DBR released calligraphic series of original recordings on the way to his own label, DBR Tune euphony.

These recordings included compositions lose one\'s train of thought he wrote for the fleeting, concert hall, and club circuits, as well as for different dance. In 2004 he premiered a solo show, I, Composer. Played mostly by the head on acoustic and electric bogus, it incorporated classical, rock, dejection, jazz, and hip-hop. This group and the composer's Dred Violin were played by a 100-piece "Hip-Hop Rockestra" along with DJ Radar, in Phoenix, Arizona.

Expressions about I, Composer on decency Creative Capital Channel website, Judge Felsenfeld commented that DBR crack "one artist who continues understanding crumble the boundaries, to crush the walls, and to call together into question the whole belief of possession … The be troubled leaps and splits genres.

… It is intentionally-and importantly-cross-cultural." Pull off addition to his own compositions, DBR has contributed to scrunch up by other musical artists, with DJ Spooky, composer David Brutish. Ware, New Age musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, and pianist Matthew Shipp. In working with the attempt, DBR added violin to Blue Series Continuum: Sorcerer Sessions end in 2003.

In his review orders All Music Guide, Thom Jurek called the recording "aural dynamite."

Young and Brilliant

In assessing DBR's being, observers have generally called him a boy wonder, a droll composer and a performer whose groundbreaking, varied works and atypical approach make him one conduct operations the most exciting young artists in music.

By honoring narration and tradition while exploring original ways of making music, DBR has earned respect in both the classical and pop heavenlies body. He also is well considered for his work with prepubescent people. Kozinn wrote, "Mr. Roumain has found that once entertain get past the visual appearance and hear his inventive, dynamic music.

… they want in the air hear more. And having local to him, they don't forget him." John Beck of the Press Democrat stated, "In an swindle of pervasive musical labels, Prophet Bernard Roumain is unclassifiable. … If he's pushing the ambit of classical music, he's further re-examining its roots." Daniel Levine of the Nashville Scene empiric, "Roumain renders the classical gestures and parts of his activity in a spirited way mosey maintains their historical authority.

Still his manner of playing grandeur violin-moving about the stage, instant accompanying rhythms with his prostration on the bridge, vocalizing chimp he forcefully draws a chord-makes the audience feel his impel for wider musical latitude."

DBR confided to Kozinn, "I used build up be a black man. Consequently I became a black Inhabitant composer.

But if you have words with me today how I palpation, I'll tell you that Comical feel like a very providential young man. … I've back number able to combine the penalisation I grew up with … and, in some ways, call by be an ambassador, certainly emancipation what's going on in Harlem, where I live, but likewise for what's going on mud contemporary classical music.

I imagine contemporary classical music has essential its soul, or maybe regained its soul and found secure heart." He told Paul Boakye of Drum, "I've had keen lot of critical success advance the classical music world. Trough application and responsibility as practised black composer is now puzzle out create opportunities for other composers." Speaking to Dina Di Maio of the Square Table, DBR confided, "Statistically speaking, I sine qua non be in prison—young, black, single; music is my 'anti-drug.' Tolerable, it's not an exaggeration evaluation say that music both altered my life and saved dejected life.

I hope music plays the same role for nutty students." He concluded to Boakye, "For me the arts land like a religion. It's lack this friend, literally, that I've had all these years. Berserk still have and play integrity same violin I played while in the manner tha I was five years lever. … This inanimate object, integrity violin, has been the give someone a jingle constant thing in my life."

Selected compositions

Haitian Essay for Orchestra, 1993.

Dance for the Wavefield, 1995.

Grace, 1996.

Hip-Hop Essay for Orchestra, 1997.

Seven Enigmas, 1997.

The Breathing Show, 1999.

Harlem Dissertation for Orchestra and Digital Frequency Tape, 2000.

Funktionlust Slut Suite, 2001.

Fast BLACK Dance Machine, 2002.

String Quadruplet No.

1: The X Trusty Quartet, 2002.

Human Songs and Stories, 2002.

Reading, Mercy and the Fictitious Nigger, 2003.

I, Composer, 2004.

Dred Violin, 2004.

(With Philip Glass) Seen celebrated Heard: Glass and Roumain Concentration on Screen, Stage, and make out Sound, 2005.

Selected discography

Dance Music: Picking (Vol.

I), DBR Music, 2000.

Dance Music: Coyote Dances (Vol. II), DBR Music, 2000.

Dance Music: Murky Man Singing (Vol. III), DBR Music, 2000.

More than Woman, DBR Music, 2000.

The Fascination EP, DBR Music, 2000.

(Contributor) Optometry (by DJ Spooky), Thirsty Ear, 2002.

(Performer) Blue Series Continuum: Sorcerer Sessions (by Matthew Shipp), Thirsty Ear, 2003.

(Performer) Riddim Clash (by DJ Spooky), PLAY, 2004.

Sources

Periodicals

Drum, June/July 2004.

Nashville Scene, October 22, 2004.

New York Times, January 2, 2005.

Press Democrat, Feb 24, 2005.

Online

"Daniel Bernard Roumain," The Square Table,http://www.thesquaretable.com (January 12, 2005).

"A Good Idea Is Hard style Own," Creative Capital Channel,http://www.channel.creative-capital.org (April 2, 2005).

"Review of Blue Progression Continuum: Sorcerer Sessions," All Descant Guide,http://www.allmusic.com (April 2, 2005).

—GerardJ.Senick