A Soft Persistence
When I began to work on the recent orchestral commission from the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, as usual, I began composing by outlining a logical structure and detailed description of the … Continue reading
Dissonance
I spent the last few months examining dissonance in music. I cataloged hundreds of harmonies that express bliss, anger, frustration, pain, or indifference. I drew countless diagrams and made a … Continue reading
Days of Innocence for Piano Quintet
When I first came in contact with a piano in my childhood, I was mesmerized by the instrument. Not knowing anything about musical scales or the significance of the black … Continue reading
AI Music
Right now, artificial intelligence in the field of music is in its infancy, but one day soon, I’m sure, it will catch up. When it reaches the capability to compose … Continue reading
Provenance
When you hear the words “migration” or “immigration,” what thoughts come to your mind? Is it of adventure, exploration, and discovery, or is it of danger, political conflict, and refuge? … Continue reading
Voice and Piano Transcriptions
I was able to carve out some time for a song cycle I composed in 2019 for mezzo-soprano, flute, bassoon, and guitar. The piece was commissioned by visionary flutist Kate … Continue reading
New Music for Cello Solo
The first draft of the new cello piece went out to D. Scot Williams who commissioned it. Seven and a half minutes of music exploring all registers of the instrument, … Continue reading
Groundless – New Album
When two of your babies share the same birthday, tensions and compromises are to be expected. My album Glossolalia has already received much love in the past weeks but Groundless … Continue reading
Hello There, Music
No one knows I have begun working on the cello solo piece, not even Scot Williams who commissioned it. Earlier this week I casually began drafting the shape of the … Continue reading
On the Rooftop of the Kennedy Center
It was never my dream to have my music performed at the Kennedy Center. I simply did not believe in dreaming outrageous, impossible dreams. Yet the improbable happened, all the … Continue reading
Glossolalia Anniversary
In February of 2014, I booked a recording studio and traveled to cold and overcast Poland to collaborate on a recording with NeoQuartet from Gdańsk. I didn’t have to do … Continue reading
New Music for Cello
I am thrilled to be commissioned by D. Scot Williams to compose a new work for cello. Not a stranger to contemporary music, Scot has previously commissioned several other composers, … Continue reading
Peace on Earth
You know what’s amazing? Companies like UPS or FedEx. A package coming to me from California has barely left the place of origin and I already know when it will … Continue reading
Earthrise for Symphony Orchestra
I am alarmed by humanity’s fascination with destruction. We consume hundreds of films and video games devoted to natural disasters and cataclysms. We entertain ourselves with graphic depictions of gore, … Continue reading
Earthrise – English Horn Solo Excerpt
Before I share with you my new orchestral piece, let me tease you with a short excerpt of the English horn solo. I have never written for this instrument before … Continue reading
The Brass Section
The new orchestral piece is basically finished but some final polishes are still needed. Today I worked on the brass section, and in particular, its articulations and phrasing. I realized … Continue reading
Circadian Rhythm
I am learning about solar noon and solar midnight. In London, for example, they happen at 1:04 pm and 1:04 am. If we assume that the optimal sleep length is … Continue reading
Synesthesia
When I talk about color in music (besides being a composer, I am also a painter), I am often asked whether I have synesthesia. I do not, and I am … Continue reading
Fragility
A year ago, during great personal distress, I composed Fragility. Now I am haunted by the same feelings as are so many of my family and friends. One might have … Continue reading
New Orchestral Music
I am nearly finished writing my latest orchestral piece. It has taken me to colorful harmonic places I have not encountered before. . . Read the full article here: https://dosiamckay.com/new-orchestral-music/
Rapturous Amazement
What is the purpose of life? In my view, the purpose of life is to enter a state of rapturous amazement. If we take the time to look around, we … Continue reading
How Long Did It Take You?
I truly dislike it when people ask, “So, how long did it take you to paint this?”. How should I answer this question? Should I count the time before I … Continue reading
Patience
At the end of last year, I worked intently on a new orchestral piece but then Christmas and New Year, predictably, broke my stride. Music composition is like long-distance running … Continue reading
Serenity
This new sleek meditation app will help me find more serenity in my life. The speaker’s voice is so soothing, I can already feel myself floating gently as I am … Continue reading
Upcoming NYC Ballet Performances
Friends, I am overjoyed and deeply honored that New York City Ballet will perform two of my orchestral pieces; “Unveiling” and “Is Now Not Enough?” to the choreography of Sidra … Continue reading
The Guiding Light
Producing an album often seems like driving a car from the back seat. Theoretically, if you know where you want to go and are able to communicate clearly, and if … Continue reading
Fragility Official Music Video
Fragility official music video is out on YouTube. Fragility is the opening track of my latest album entitled Groundless. The video concept and editing are mine but the amazing videography … Continue reading
Groundless
https://dosiamckay.com/music/groundless/ I have made ambitious plans for international travel in 2020. I was considering Japan or Korea but a friend strongly suggested China. I had already purchased the plane tickets … Continue reading
Watercolors – New Music for Symphony Orchestra
I have been programmed with Tchaikovsky before, most likely because of my Slavic ancestry. But when I discovered that Aram Demirjian, the artistic director of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, programed … Continue reading
Unveiling – Free Perusal Score
Conductors, instrumentalists, composers, and non-musical friends, I am making “Unveiling” for string orchestra available as a free perusal score download. See what a musical blueprint looks like. https://dosiamckay.com/music-scores/unveiling/
Things I Wish I Knew
On the occasion of the release of the 3rd Endless Immersion album, I am reminded of the video I created for the first one. My hair might be different now … Continue reading
Waiting for the Titles
I spent the last few days editing tracks for my upcoming album. One darling was killed in the process and the rest had to justify to me why I should … Continue reading
I Need Spotify Help
Please, for the love of God, can some kind person add my music to several Spotify playlists? My algorithm is completely off. I am currently pegged as a Renaissance composer, … Continue reading
Endless Immersion 3 is Here
iTunes | Amazon | Bandcamp | Spotify https://dosiamckay.com/music/endless-immersion-3/ The next installment of the Endless Immersion series and another full hour of seamless, immersive musical experience is here. As always, I have a difficult time categorizing my music. This … Continue reading
Manifesto
Manifesto is a strange yet captivating film. Because it is a mish-mash of many art and political manifestos recited in new contexts by the ever-inventive Cate Blanchett, there is no … Continue reading
Audiophile’s Musings
It is true that it takes a long time for the performer to bring a composition to its fullest potential. The notes and the phrases remain the same, but with … Continue reading
Endless Immersion 3
Before I release my brand-new album, I will first release the 3rd installment of Endless Immersion. Originally conceived in 2015, Endless Immersion was a soundtrack to an art installation in … Continue reading
Composer Desk Again
I am documenting this makeshift set up before the arrival of my new desk. It looks convoluted but ergonomically speaking, it works very well. It is actually my drafting table … Continue reading
Composer Desk
I am reinventing the wheel again, that is, I am reexamining the ergonomics of my music studio setup. The three main elements always are the MIDI keyboard, the computer keyboard, … Continue reading
At Peace
The score has been spiralbound and the parts have been taped according to the Major Orchestra Librarians’ Association’s guidelines. All that remains is to send the materials to the Knoxville … Continue reading
Instant Gratification
I crave instant gratification as much as the next person. I want minimal effort with maximum rewards. Immediate rewards. I want dopamine, the hormone of accomplishment, opening the floodgates of … Continue reading
Art Song – The Secret from Rubble Becomes Art
The second poem by Valerie Foote, entitled “The Secret”, tells the story of a betrayal of a young girl whose innocence is stolen by a stranger and who, fifty years … Continue reading
Dark Sister, Sing from Rubble Becomes Art
Here is the recording of the premiere of Dark Sister Sing from Rubble Becomes Art, a triptych of art songs commissioned by Kate Steinbeck and Pan Harmonia. This performance took place … Continue reading
The Flow – Chapter 2
If you missed the first chapter, you can read it here: https://wp.me/p6Qr0-127 The first thing she noticed upon entering was the smell. It was the fragrance of aged wood and … Continue reading
“Watercolors” for Orchestra to be Premiered by the Knoxville Symphony
I am delighted to share that my “Watercolors” for Orchestra will be premiered by the Knoxville Symphony on the Masterworks Series concert in October. Although I was not born in … Continue reading
The Flow – Chapter 1
Numbness does not have to be destructive. Its lukewarm embrace can be nourishing, sustaining, prove wonderfully protective. When all other emotions have failed, numbness remains to offer a guiltless escape. … Continue reading
Freakish Intensity
The cover design made it more real. The novel is out with the editor and I am inching toward the release of the book. I am about to enter the … Continue reading
Back to the Novel Writing
Some of you have asked what happened to the psychological thriller I was writing last year. I had to put it aside for the last few months as I worked … Continue reading
Music Well - Dosia McKay, Composer, Painter, Writer 