News

Interview

Writer/radio host Ben Gambuzza recently interviewed me on his experiences studying with Feldman for his illuminating podcast, The Best is Noise. His questions were probing and thoughtful. You can read the transcript at Ben’s Substack, Evenings with the Orchestra. And yes, that’s me in 1981, at a Snakefinger concert during my time at University at Buffalo. Photo: Mike Qotas

Air Lines for harmonica duo (diatonic + chromatic)

On the last day of 2025 I completed a new piece for two harmonicas, titled Air lines. It calls for a Hohner Marine Band in A major, and a chromatic harp in C. Fun fact: the Marine Band is 7-limit just-tempered, while the chromatic is equal-tempered. So "unison" and enharmonic pitches are noticeably off. I play quite a bit on those intriguing discrepancies.

The piece calls for a pitch-shifting toy bullhorn; there's some singing into the harp, plus a few other extended techniques. Most likely, I’ll be giving the work’s premiere, playing both parts (one or both pre-recorded, possibly in the form of a video). Stay tuned for details…

Air Lines began in a dream: a disembodied hand gave me a beautiful Art Deco harmonica. A stentorian voice said to me, "You're not listening – it's a very fine instrument." When I woke up, I decided to write this piece. It’s dedicated to my brother Michael D. Swartz – a scholar, a gifted blues harpist, and my lifelong companion in musical exploration.