Holiday list by Wits musicians for your listening pleasure
- Wits University
Music lecturers share their favourite music compositions drawing on their creative work and those of others, expanding our appreciation of the vast genres.
Dr Cara Stacey is a musician, composer and musicologist and was the Standard Bank Young Artist for Music 2021. She teaches music technology in the first and second year music theory courses with Dr Cameron Harris as well as the electronic music composition modules to third and fourth years music students. She also supervises postgraduate students.
How would you describe your music?
My music has been a mix of different styles and practices. I love playing piano, umrhubhe and a few of the other southern African instruments including uhadi, makhoyane musical bows that I have studied over the years. I am interested in improvisation and experimental ways of making music. Each project is a different type of collaboration and that often means working a little out of my comfort zone which I enjoy. ?
What are your favourite composition and why?
You never come out the same is a recent piece which I enjoyed working on. It was great to collaborate with the US-based flutist Tessa Brinckman. I was testing out a few new techniques when writing this. Each commission or project is a way for me to test out or understand something new in sound.
Two pieces I have been enjoying recently are by two quite different artists and groups. The first is Nazama by Kenyan composer and musician Nyokabi Kariuki. I find her all of her work really diverse and inspiring.
The second is A Hot Gust of Wine by American group Woodpainting. I love the winding, parallel melodies and mosiac-like structures in the music on this album.
Dr Peter Cartwright is a double SAMA winning pianist and has performed at numerous festivals and concert venues locally and abroad. He is primarily a piano lecturer in the Wits Music Department where he also coaches classical ensembles, lectures in aural studies and is responsible for the weekly lunch hour concert series, and works on the Seabrooke concert series.
How would you describe your music?
I am a solo and chamber pianist focusing not only on the core Western art repertoire, but contemporary South African and African art music.
What are your favourite composition and why?
It has to be Sergey Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto. This was on an album that got me into classical piano music and has been a favourite ever since. He was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor.
One of my favourite jazz pianists teamed up with the brilliant Joshua Redman and produced Always August. Another favourite is a song called Marcie (Joni Mitchell) called Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau.
Associate Professor and Head of Department Carlo Mombelli teaches jazz theory (the grammar), and artistry and composition through his own ensembles and electric jazz bass.
How would you describe your music?
It’s chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instrumentalists. In its original sense, chamber music referred to music composed for the home, as opposed to that written for the theatre or church.
What are your favourite compositions?
My own composition? My favorites move from day to day but I love performing my piece Motian the Explorer dedicated to Paul Motian.
Currently I am listening to Marc Johnson's Don't ask of me. I feel it is a prayer and a sadness of the madness that we find this planet in and the ruthless killings.