Derrik Jordan: Music

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I have been writing in a style that I call world fusion/classical for about 2 years and have had some remarkable success in that short time. I recently had a piece ("Odzihozo And The Lake") commissioned by the Vermont Symphony Orchestra which was performed in 10 venues around the state in the fall of 2009. Also my piece "Sky Mirror" for string quartet, shakuhachi and electric guitar was awarded the Shakuhachi Chamber Music International Prize 2008.

I am primarily drawn to world music, particularly African, Asian, Middle Eastern and Brazilian and have been writing pieces that marry those influences with classical players. It seems like a worthy experiment. I am a multi-instrumentalist (electric violin, percussion, guitar, piano) and singer-songwriter. I have released many CDs and had the very good fortune to study percussion with master drummer Milford Graves who opened my ears to world music in the mid 1970's at Bennington College where I also studied composition with Henry Brant, Vivian Fine and Otto Luening.

Here is a list of what is on this 11 minute demo of excerpts from five of my recent world fusion/classical works:

1. New Horizon from "Odzihozo And The Lake" performed by the Vermont Symphony Orchestra in on Oct 3, 2009

2. Making Waves (excerpt) from "Odzihozo And The Lake"

3. Dark Matter (excerpt) from "Four Unknowns" for string orchestra and 3 percussionists. The recording is a Sibelius music file.

4. Quantum Chaos (excerpt) from "Four Unknowns"

5. Monkey Mind (excerpt) from "Four Unknowns"

6. The Clown Prince (excerpt) from "Five Gamelans For Brass Quintet." The recording is a Sibelius music file.

7. Mountain Of The Gods And Goddesses (excerpt) from "Five Gamelans For Brass Quintet."

8. That Buzzing Is The Ancestors Singing (excerpt) from "Welcome Santo" for string quartet, kalimba and shekere. The recording is a Sibelius music file.

9. Floating Clouds (excerpt) from "Sky Mirror" for string quartet, shakuhachi and electric guitar. The recording uses live shakuhachi, electric guitar and Sibelius strings.

10. Everything Is Alive (excerpt) from "Sky Mirror."