Ricks From Within CD

General Info
This CD 'From Within' is Music designed specificly for Relaxation.

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:
This miniature work invokes a pre-dawn ambivalent mood through the use of a series of secondary-dominates without sevenths, but merely open 5ths with 2nds rather than 3rds. It is in essence pan-tonal since it can equally satisfyingly cadence on any of the ‘chords’ within the harmonic progression pattern of the piece. Since it begins in ‘a’ it also ends in ‘a’, but do to the ambivalent harmonic nature of the work (cycling around the circle of P5ths) it could have ended in any key. The ending is made definite by at last adding a third (minor in this case) in the final chord. Because of this harmonic ambivalence coupled with the simple rhythmic and melodic motives this work evokes that almost undefinable moment preceding dawns lighting upon the horizon and the timbre quality chosen also helps to instill a sense of anticipation never quite fulfilled and a floating feeling never quite grounded.

Description:
This works style is both homophonic and meditative and scored for flute, digital piano, strings, bass and drum set. This work is unabashedly tonal yet hopefully with no pretension or any stale uncreative use of tonal cliché. In Essence the same formal techniques were utilized for ‘Waves’ as were employed in ‘Gentle Surf’ and once again is but a detail taken and expanded from a more involved poly-tonal work. Again the purpose of this work is also for meditation, relaxation, and simple enjoyment of accompanied melody.

Description:
(?c. Spring / ‘98) Trance Music No 2 or "Wedding Music" was Commissioned by Mr. Nathaniel Borenstein as a gift for his wife Trina on their 20th wedding anniversary.This work is both minimalist and meditative and is scored for 2 digital pianos. This work is essentially very much alike to ‘Trance music no. 1’ although with brighter timbre and registrar use of the instruments. This work is stylistically a minimal work and Arranged for 2 keyboards (A piano Duo). I was drawing on influences from Terry Riley’s early keyboard works, as well as, my own experiences of playing in an Indonesia Gamelan back in my College years. It was commissioned by Nathaniel Borenstein as a gift to his wife Trina Borenstein and is dedicated to her for their 20th wedding anniversary. The tolling Bells count out the 20 years with a few extra to grow on.
It is also a part of my Kalediscopic variations using the ordered-interval succession 2-5-2.

Description:
This works style is both homophonic and meditative and includes saxopone, digital piano, strings, bass and drum set. This work is unabashedly tonal yet hopefully with no pretension or any stale uncreative use of tonal cliché. In Essence the same formal techniques were utilized for ‘Evening Star ’ as were employed in ‘Gentle Surf’ and 'Waves'. Again the purpose of this work is also for meditation, relaxation, and simple enjoyment of accompanied melody.

Description:

(c. 11 / 16 / ‘91 (Revised 2 / 28 / ‘95)) This arangement of The River is scored for Violin, Vibes, ‘Cello and Synth or Tape. This was originally a vocal work. The words that go with the original song version are from Scripture. “Guard your heart, for from there flow the springs of life.”

This is a simple straight forward minimalist work for an ensemble. The form is varied with each performance since although completely composed it is written in a multitude of sections that can be played in any order with any combination of parts and repeated at will by the performers choice either preplanned before the performance or spontaneously during the performance; the piece still comes out overall sounding similar to what you will hear in this rendition. A slight combining of aleatoric (John Cage) formal means with preconceived composed integrated structures is the basic formal idea. The primary intervals employed are repetitive and drone like use of M2nds.

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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