Ricks Electronic Explorations CD

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Album Info
This CD is 1 of 6 CDs that together total over 60 musical compositions and are a representative sampling of over 800 musical compositions composed by Richard Strunk over the course of the past 3 decades (1974 - 2007). A substantial number of Rick's 800+ musical compositions are Classical pieces for solo instrumental players and include works for almost all the instruments existing within the modern symphony orchestra. There is also a large body of chamber music by Rick composed for both Classical ensembles such as String Quartets; Piano Trios etc, plus much that is written for Jazz quartets and quintets that utilize the fusing of either Pop song and/or Classical work with Jazz, as well as electronic music and some larger orchestra works too. Occasionally Rick has also written some Pop/Rock tunes through the years too. More CDs are coming soon. Enjoy!

Description:
Composition sounds were created using the Studio Buchla Synthesizer at The Grinnell College Electronic Music Studio. Spatial movement was equal in importance as a compositional parameter within the score with timber or any others such as pitch or rhythms. The organization of the sounds was accomplished solely but splicing all the sound events together using a splice block and Revox Rell-To-Reel; probably a 1000 or more splices were used to assemble the entire composition. It was written as a 3 movement work.

Description:
This work was created at The Grinnell College Electronic Music Studio. Dick Steel, a professor and linguist at Grinnell College, assisted me in recording all known human phonemes on tape that were eventually recorded over and over again slightly out-of phase and mixed into into a controlled feedback for developing a 4-channel minimalist electronic composition called Phonetic Cloud. 'Prelude To Phonetic Cloud' is a short excerpt of the actual voice of Dick Steel during our first recording session of human phonemes. Steve Reich's 'Come Out' was a work I had been familiar with since High school and I always wanted to try my hand at this especially with a composition designed using spatial movement. Spatial movement was equal in importance as a compositional parameter within the score with timber or any others such as pitch or rhythms. So the effect would really seem as if one was slowly moving or passing through a Phonetic Cloud.

John Cage was among a number of composers that were inspirational for me in High School and College. This lecture was constructed entirely of chance operations during my Senior Year in High School that also occurred simultaneously with my Freshman Year in College. The order of the phrases used for each of the 2 voices was determined by a flip of a coin and pulling them out of a hat. The choices of the phrases used were done serendipitously by randomly thumbing through Cage's books 'Silence' and 'A Year From Monday' and whatever words i might happen to glance at were recorded and used. Both voices use the same content but the phrases are in different orders for each voice. When this work was performed for my lecture-performance at Kansas State University in 1975 it actually caused a small riot. Amazing as it sounds some students were enraged by it and were angrily shouting and denouncing the presentation some were stunned to silence and a few were utterly delighted. The 2 teaching Assistants were polarized too. One had assisted me in this project and defended both the project and I; while the other was furious at my project and myself. One TA was insisting I be given an 'F' and flunked while the other insisted I be given an 'A'. The matter was handed over to the Composer-In-Residence to decide. He invited me in and we conversed for a while concerning John Cage's views and works. It became obvious that this presentation was no flippancy on my part for I had done extensive studies on this composer and his works and so the composer Hanley Jackson gave me an 'A'. However, I am sure that if I had simply been 'pulling a stunt' without any real background of study or thought I would have gotten the 'F' instead. I performed 4' 33" on Congo Drums as a part of this lecture performance too. 4' 33" is Cage's famous or infamous Silent Sonata marked tacit for all 3 movements. No sound is played and instead people in the audience have the opportunity to begin to focus on any unintended sounds occurring around them including environmental. On this recording of the lecture the 2nd Voice is done by Clay Shropshire and he imitates several well known people while speaking his part such as Jimmy Carter and John Wayne.

Below is the link that pop ups the full Lecture text:

See Lecture Text

Composer Bio:

Born in Casper,WY in the summer of 1957, Richard Byron Strunk by age 4 was taking piano lessons at his pre-nursery school. In the late ‘70’s & early ‘80s at Grinnell College he studied advance piano techniques with concert pianist John Jensen & musical composition with composers Alan Leichtling (Student of the great composers Darius Mihaud & Vincent Persichetti), and Jon Wellstead, and Lee Cloud (Students of the great experimental American composer Peter Todd Lewis). Mr. Strunk’s early electronic works and conceptually-based instrumental compositions earned him the reputation early on in College as a pioneer within the Advance Front of New Music. His works to date cover a wide and diverse spectrum of musical types embodying both conservative elements and radical innovations.

"A true innovator, full of life and passion, Richard Byron Strunk's music embodies conservative elements and radical innovations. His repertoire includes Classical, Jazz, New Age, Minimalist, Rock & too many to list! Such diversity enables Listeners from all walks of life to relate to Strunk's works." * Sonic Awareness

Mr Strunk originated the kaleidoscopic music method in the late 1970's & very early 1980’s and it is essentially a way to make Cubist music in any genre. His purpose in doing this was because he saw a need in the fragmented craft of modern music of bridge building between the fragmented orientations of listeners.

The kaleidoscopic music method allowed for the expansion of the Musical Form Theme and Variations to Composition and Variations and was originated by Mr. Strunk. Unfortunately, like numerous other original contributions that Mr. Strunk has made through the years from the fringes of society accurate and appropriate accreditation will probably be long in coming if ever. Today it is not significance which makes for fame, but fame which makes for significance. Today one may originate an important idea and gain no recognition for so doing. either another at a later date derivatively comes up with a similar notion and successfully popularizes it; or by word-of-mouth it is eventually picked up by another who again is more adept at popularizing and advertising the idea 2nd hand then actually having any real substantive capacity for creating such an idea in the first place; but because of being well networked and so adept at being able to popularize this idea they actually are given the accreditation and acknowledgement of having originated the idea when this was not and is not the case. Today, Significance does not make Fame but sadly Fame makes significance.

Today to accomplish and originate a significant idea or work does not insure that accurate and appropriate accreditation or acknowledgement will follow; its politics in the Arts now and those who one knows and those that know you means much more then any significant accomplishment in ones work or inventive accomplishment in ones musical craft or Art. Sadly, Vincent in today's world would still be tragically left on the fringes and pretty much ignored. For more information on this sad state of affairs please see Rick's essay called 'Western Musical Culture.'

In the early ‘90’s Mr. Strunk was diagnosed with a severely functionally debilitating illness and his career seemed over. Yet even with being beset with both his illness, and being homeless for quite a number of months at several different times during this past decade, he continued to compose by gaining access to pianos in area churches. Much of the music he wrote during these difficult times reflects the beauty and joy of life rather than of only focusing on his suffering, and speaks to the heart, with substantive meaning for the mind, of one man’s triumph of hope persevering over despair.

Mr. Strunk believes that disability does not mean inability. Like many of the severely disabled, he is living proof that the disabled can and often do make valuable contributions to their communities and Society. All contributions from people at whatever level of development or recovery are valuable. Mr. Strunk's first steps in 1990 in occupational therapy of making a leather wallet and continuing on to his next projects that he had the then diminished capacity to do, helped him to redevelop and recover slowly over time his lost or damaged abilities necessary for the more involved and demanding musical constructions done in the late 1990's. The point is at whatever level of development one is currently at ones works are of value and even if ones life has not turned out for the best for whatever reason, life can get better and still be good with and even without our help for life is bigger then our understanding or aspirations; if one just keeps going.

Since 1990 after being diagnosed, he began treatment and steadily acquired new and useful skills for himself to better manage his illness. Prior to 1990 his ability to manage his illness and life was at best haphazard. Over the past 15 years he has salvaged the unfinished works of his young adult life and continued onward to further explore new intriguing musical possibilities and visual art too. Even with many needed breaks and working at a fairly slow pace due to his illness, he has over the long haul been able to accomplish much work. He has learned and is adept now in how to work within the limitations of his illness and how not to aggravate it unnecessarily. Today Mr. Strunk is quite successfully managing his illness, in part, thanks to some friends and family, a lot of patience, his medications, a number of helpful social programs, learning helpful skills and coping techniques to better manage his illness, constructive behaviors and productive projects, his commitment to Christ and church, his ethical sense, plus his own self-determination to recover, restore and make a good life for himself again.

When Mr. Strunk is not engaged in treatment for his illness; working on his Music and Visual Art projects or doing his household chores, he does enjoy watching a wide assortment of movies or playing computer games such as Baldurs Gate, Diablo, NeverWinterNights, and more recently EverQuest on the Mac server.

Currently Mr. Strunk has been exploring the New Salon Venue of performance for his works via Computer/Internet broadcasts and distribution of his music and visualizations now available for home listening and viewing on CD and DVD. Thus Like Chopin involved within the earlier tradition of the Old Style Salon recitals; Mr. Strunk's Music and visual works are being performed/played in the homey comfort of the modern audiences living rooms. To Date, Mr. Strunk has composed over 800 musical compositions.

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