Provenance
What thoughts come to your mind when you hear the word “migration” or “immigration”? Is it adventure, exploration, and discovery, or danger, political conflict, and refuge? Perhaps you imagine what it … 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Home Archeology
Discovery of a buried ziplock bag during a routine weeding of a flower bed led me to a more involved archeological dig which produced the featured figurine. It was slimy … Continue reading
A Unifying Principle
How do I express this movement musically? And when I hear gripping music, how do I paint it? These two artistic disciplines have been closely related in my creative output. … Continue reading
The Cemetery
Cemetery in Wejherowo. This section dedicated to small children. Growing up in Poland, I was never sheltered from the reality of death and suffering. I remember visiting the graves of … Continue reading
In Search of Divine Patterns
I have always believed that there is a divine order in all things. Studying calculus in college and diving deep into music theory showed me hidden treasures few people are … Continue reading
Intersection of Art and the Real World – Twenty Years Later
I am skimming through a few episodes of The West Wing in disbelief that the series is almost twenty years old. In nearly every episode president Bartlet gives his staff … Continue reading
Toolbox
You can accomplish anything if you have the right tools. However, the problem often lies in the fact that the right tools may be out of reach, you may have … Continue reading
Fragments
I think about all the places I have ever lived and feel a profound sense of loss. I am grateful to heave been exposed to different environments and experiences, but … Continue reading
A Quiet Room with a Large Window
To be perfectly honest, following many of you ultra successful artsy people on social media has been difficult recently. Your premieres, international travel, awards, commissions, exhibits, and accolades–you are in … Continue reading
Arizona – Thrive or Survive?
A girl on the internet shared her adventures of moving from Hawaii to Arizona. She said the islands became too small for her and since she loves collecting rocks and … Continue reading
Storing the Memories
First world problems: my phone with an excellent camera is broken. I am using a replacement phone with a mediocre camera. My full blown camera has a portrait lens while … Continue reading
Fragile
Every morning I wake up with anxiety. I reach for my phone to quickly scan the news to find out whether the new Korean war has begun. Then I check … Continue reading
Rediscovery
Dandridge, TN – rediscovering the town of my birth, of my American birth, that is. Remembering how difficult and lonely the first years were and how many people showed me … Continue reading
The Climb
Mount Shasta. Out of every three climbers who attempt the summit, only one reaches it. But not before conquering the Misery Hill, which is described as a false summit. You … Continue reading
Pilgrims
We are all travelers, pilgrims, believers in higher purpose, traveling in different directions, but somehow on similar paths. Or maybe on different paths but drawing the same conclusions. Who knows? … Continue reading
Open Spaces
I have heard about the vast spaces of the West and it doesn’t surprise me that people have been drawn by them for centuries. Here anything seems possible. I want … Continue reading
The Grand Canyon
After 12 years, this is my second trip to the one and only Grand Canyon. Its vastness and gravity still pull me in the same way they did before. It’s … Continue reading
Solo
I took a solo hike into the bottom of the canyon and began fantasizing about taking a full solo trip. I crave uninterrupted segments of time when I can fully … Continue reading
Presidential Library
I thought a presidential library was a public library on steroids endowed by a president. A great collection of books, recordings, maps, ultra fast internet access, engaging geography or history … Continue reading
Change
Change is difficult because it confronts me with the impermanence of all things. I must say goodbye to this home, to this friendship, to this idea of where I fit … Continue reading
Goodbye
Dear Asheville, Thank you for everything! The last five years have enriched me with new friendships, scenic natural surroundings, and much inspiration for music composition and art making. I am … Continue reading
Treasured Possessions
Some of the most thoughtful gifts I have received over the years have been music scores by other composers. I have many officially released works, as well as a few … Continue reading
A Patch of Blue – Analysis of the Music Score by Jerry Goldsmith
The following is a scholarly paper I wrote during my graduate studies at the New York University in the Fall of 2009, a requirement for professor Ronald H. Sadoff’s class … Continue reading
No Commitment
Medusa – one of my early paintings. Remarkably, as I look back, I feel myself drawn to the same color palette again; soft grays, blue, black. Maybe I have come … Continue reading
Limitation as Freedom
I am discussing the concept of limitation in the context of artistic freedom. When I am faced with the whiteness of my creative page, I like to set limiting parameters … Continue reading
“Mathis der Maler”, Symphony by Paul Hindemith – Analysis
The following is a scholarly paper I wrote during my graduate studies at the New York University in the Fall of 2010, a requirement for professor Justin Dello Joio’s class … Continue reading
Women Composers in the 21st Century
Following is a list of women composers who are living (have lived) in the 21st century. This compilation focuses on composers of contemporary classical (art) and experimental music written for … Continue reading
A Winter Memory from Poland
A winter memory from Poland, many years ago: Apocalyptic amounts of snow paralyze the entire country. Trains equipped with plows are not able to get through. Forget about buses and … Continue reading
Fidgeting in the Sacred Space
Where have you done it? So far I have done it on the kitchen counter, in the bathtub, in the basement, in the bedroom, in the bathroom, the living room, … Continue reading
Swimming in the Sea of Invisibility
I didn’t like my arts teacher in elementary school and the sentiment was reciprocated. I did not agonize over the fact as the teacher didn’t like any of her students. It … Continue reading
To Create is to Be Alive
I paint to remember and to forget. To celebrate and to mourn. To rage and to be still. In all of these I want to affirm life and gratitude for … Continue reading
Symbiosis – An Artist’s Internal Dialogue
An artist’s internal dialogue never stops. Isn’t it enough that I have to interact with the outside world? Wouldn’t it be nice to “come home to myself” for the respite … Continue reading
What Is The Point Of Art Making?
What is the point of quiet and consistent art making in a world run by those who scream the loudest and who put on a gaudy circus? If I stop … Continue reading
Music Well - Dosia McKay, Composer, Painter, Writer 