Ideals and Realities: A Composer in America

By Roger Reynolds

Considering what it feels like to be an American composer, one is faced with both the "American" and the "composer" components, and also what happens as they intersect. Neither is a simple subject directly apprehended. And one's consideration is partially circular, for what it is to compose is impacted by the American context. I haven't the skills or the interest to attempt a comprehensive view of the subject, so my aims are necessarily modest. I will start with an introspection on how I came to be who I am musically. In what can be thought of as an annotated autobiographical sketch, I think back on what has happened in my life and how events might have been influenced by American society. After following this line of exploration for awhile, I put it aside and comment on two rather more personal "features" of my work. Finally, I offer a collection of six self-contained musings on significant features in the American musical landscape as I have encountered it‹originality, scale, multiplicity, collaboration, freedom, and technology.