Last week, I took part in two events which featured my music, and did not sell out to capacity.

The first event - a 10pm concert by the Montréal-based string quartet Warhol Dervish, at the University of Toronto, featured my music, as well as pieces by Nico Muhly and Richard Reed Parry (of Arcade Fire).  Tickets were $26-31 (Canadian dollars), and ( Read more... )

The composer Nico Muhly has recently written a blog post broadly discussing genre, which prompted me to respond by asking --

"What kind of music do you make?"

This is a question that composers and performers get asked all the time, and, if you're anything like me, the ideal answer is a diversion. "Well -- at our last show, everyone was given ( Read more... )

Age is just a number, and you’re only as old as you feel.  Though my dad has recently celebrated his 65th birthday, he is still acting 20.

But me? I have not aged since sixth grade.

It was in sixth grade “art” class at Columbia Middle School, that I -- a 12-year old scholarship student freshly arrived from Russia with very limited English -- and my ( Read more... )

For a limited while, you can download the Kontraband's new album for free, or nearly free - see below:

give it a try:

I've got a new name for an old game --- when, in a pop song, the last time the Chorus goes around a step higher -- just call it a ChoRuckus. Or, if you're feeling particularly frustrated, look up the producer's credits on Wikipedia, after you're done spitting on the floor, hopefully out of a guilty conscience.

"we didn't rehearse... but music is actually about people.. and talking is actually about shutting up"

-Thus Spake Ljova as part of his "opening remarks" on his 30th birthday.

My wife thinks that I would've made a darn good lawyer -- but, with due respect, I have to disagree ( Read more... )

I've often said that in order to continually develop as a musician, you have to act like you're 20 -- curious, but pessimistic ( Read more... )

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When I was a child, I spoke in screams and whimpers -- I could sure make a scene ( Read more... )