Finding A Moment

Anthony R. Green, Active Creator in Residence

Navigating Louisville by bike as the season changes has been both adventurous and challenging. While I do love the snow, I’m not a big fan of biking on ice-covered roads amongst drivers who can’t fathom the idea of a person not wanting to drive a car, and biking through face-biting sleet is also not very fun. I must, however, get places, and spending money on ride share services adds up, and the time it takes to wait for a TARC bus also adds up! On the plus side, the adventures I’ve had navigating Louisville by bike (through good and bad weather) have not only given me great stories and great workouts, but more importantly they give me a moment to myself.

I grew up in Providence, RI, and the recent incident at Brown University has really hit home for me. As I type this, there are helicopters circling the house where I grew up, in search of a disturbed person who probably still has weapons that can be used irresponsibly. This coupled with the very public deaths of Rob and Michelle Singer Reiner, the horrible antisemitic attack on Bondi Beach, and the deaths of my brother’s mother-in-law and a respected, longtime member of my home church … the weight of all of these events has been difficult to bear. Consequently, finding moments of focus in solitude has been intrinsic to my mental and emotional health, and biking along with gathering with friends and – of course – karaoke has helped tremendously. Composing has also been surprisingly therapeutic for me; giving creative birth to the ideas swirling around in my head and heart does provide me with a type of healing that I wish could be experienced by all who need it. And this particular time of year has been quite busy for me.

I recently was featured on the ComposersNow IMPACT series, and creating this video was a real joy as well as a bit of a challenge. Those who know me know that I have composed probably too many pieces of music, so creating a 30-minute video inevitably means I must leave out quite a bit of content I would have otherwise loved to include! I’m so grateful for the feature, though! I will also have a premiere of a new work for solo piano in Brooklyn at the end of January (performed by Chelsea Randall), and in February the LAMNTH Duo will perform an Anthony R. Green portrait concert (a concert consisting solely of works by one composer). LAMNTH comprises Lilit Hartunian (violin) and Nicholas Tolle (Cimbalom). As there are not too many works for violin and cimbalom, I recently finished a new 30+ minute piece for the duo, and I am super excited about having a fifth portrait concert (and thanks to UMKC, Castle of our Skins, the Longy School of Music, and the 113 Composers Collective for my previous portrait concerts)!

Okay – I must stop writing this blog … I have a viola concerto to compose for the Louisville Orchestra!!!

-Anthony R. Green, Active Creator in Residence