Joshua DeScherer (1977- )
Joshua
DeScherer has been fascinated with sound from an early age: many
of his earliest memories involve making a lot of noise, as well as
seeing and hearing loud things such as cannons, foghorns, and
jackhammers. To this day, he continues to find music in
unexpected places, enjoying both the sounds of a cityscape (droning
engines, rhythmic hammering) and that of a mountain path (distant
humming bee tree, rhythmic walking). DeScherer has played the
contrabass for two decades now, the product of an excellent public
school music program in Tenafly, NJ, supplemented by studies in the
preparatory division at the Manhattan School of Music. His
primary bass teachers have been Linda McKnight, Lou Kosma, Lynn
Hannings, and Pascale Delache-Feldman. Over the years Josh has
performed extensively with both professional and amateur ensembles
throughout the northeastern United States. As a performer,
DeScherer focuses on music written after 1950. His performance
repertoire is extremely varied and includes graphic scores, performance
art and free improvisation. While a student at Colby College
(Waterville, ME), DeScherer began his work as a composer.
After earning a BA in Music from Colby, he continued on to Tufts
University (Medford, MA) earning a MA in Music Composition in
2001. During these years, he studied composition with Jonathan
Hallstrom, Steve Nuss, Phil Carlsen, and John McDonald. After
earning his MA, DeScherer taught Aural Skills and Music Literacy (Intro
to Theory) at Bennington College. While at Bennington, he was
frequently called upon to conduct or coach ensembles. In addition
to coaching small ensembles for premiere performances of student work,
DeScherer conducted the college’s 2003 performance of Monteverdi’s
l’Orfeo. Many of his pieces from this time, such as For the Wild
Forests (2003) draw their inspiration from his love of the New England
wilderness. As a composer, DeScherer is especially fond of
writing for chamber ensembles, and with few exceptions, his pieces are
for small ensembles. Among his works are numerous settings of
poetry from the Beat Generation, particularly settings of the work of
Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Much of his work over the past several
years has been for contrabass solo, or for small ensembles including
contrabass. In 2004, DeScherer left Bennington to pursue a Ph.D.
in Music Composition at the University at Buffalo. Under the
supervision of his primary teacher, Cort Lippe, he began to incorporate
improvisation and graphic notation into his music to create pieces such
as Two Pianos (2006) and Piecemaker i (2007)
that use aspects of conventional notation, graphic notation and
improvisation within their musical structures. His studies at Buffalo
culminated in 2009 with the performance of Labyrinthine Trilogy, a half-hour long work using a ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ approach to musical form.COMPOSITIONS DeScherer Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre
The Descent of Pan, wind ensemble (1997)
Cigarette Swan Song, soprano, double bass and props (1998)
A Cage Went In Search Of A Bird, horn and double bass (1999)
Movements In Color, part II, mixed ensemble (1999)
Chain Reactions, piano (1999)
Fog, Reflections on a Mountain Lake, flute, guitar and cello (1999)
Keep Your Eyes On The Ball, prepared piano (2000)
Two Songs on Poems by William Carlos Williams, voice and piano (2000)
Fanfare and Harvest Dance, string quartet (2000)
Music For An Empty House, piano (2000)
A Coney Island of the Mind, 4 voices and mixed ensemble (2001)
Sonata for Contrabass (Double Bass) and Piano (2002)
Retreat Cry of the Warrior Poe, double bass (2003)
Flying With Owl (Meditation on a Childhood Friend), double bass (2003)
Incantation – Canon – Purification (Cycle for Imbolc), double bass (2003)
Enso, double bass (2003)
For The Wild Forests, string quartet, double bass and percussion (2004)
Contra, contrabass (double bass) and contrabassoon (2004)
The Minutes Between Night and Day, guitar (2005)
Three Legged Race, piano (2005)
Walking In Circles With One Shoe On, piano (2005)
Sisyphus Leaves The Subway, piano (2005)
Two Pianos (2006)
Piecemaker I, double bass (2007)
Labyrinthine Trilogy, sextet (2008-2009)
Exercise on a Breeze, double bass (2009)
Study in Metal, prepared double bass (2011)
WORKS BY GENRE DeScherer Links ~ top of page ~
Band
The Descent of Pan, wind ensemble (1997)
Choral
A Coney Island of the Mind, 4 voices and mixed ensemble (2001)
Chamber
A Cage Went In Search Of A Bird, horn and double bass (1999)
Movements In Color, part II, mixed ensemble (1999)
Fog, Reflections on a Mountain Lake, flute, guitar and cello (1999)
Fanfare and Harvest Dance, string quartet (2000)
Sonata for Contrabass (Double Bass) and Piano (2002)
For The Wild Forests, string quartet, double bass and percussion (2004)
Contra, contrabass (double bass) and contrabassoon (2004)
Labyrinthine Trilogy, sextet (2008-2009)
Solo Instrument
Sonata for Contrabass (Double Bass) and Piano (2002)
Retreat Cry of the Warrior Poe, double bass (2003)
Flying With Owl (Meditation on a Childhood Friend), double bass (2003)
Incantation – Canon – Purification (Cycle for Imbolc), double bass (2003)
Enso, double bass (2003)
The Minutes Between Night and Day, guitar (2005)
Piecemaker I, double bass (2007)
Exercise on a Breeze, double bass (2009)
Study in Metal, prepared double bass (2011)
Piano
Chain Reactions, piano (1999)
Keep Your Eyes On The Ball, prepared piano (2000)
Music For An Empty House, piano (2000)
Three Legged Race, piano (2005)
Walking In Circles With One Shoe On, piano (2005)
Sisyphus Leaves The Subway, piano (2005)
Two Pianos (2006)
Vocal
Cigarette Swan Song, soprano, double bass and props (1998)
Two Songs on Poems by William Carlos Williams, voice and piano (2000)
A Coney Island of the Mind, 4 voices and mixed ensemble (2001)
DESCHERER LINKS Works by Genre ~ top of page ~
Composer's website [none at the moment] . . . contact Joshua DeScherer: jdescherer(at)hotmail.com
DeScherer @ Frantasia Festival of Out Music and Arts
DeScherer @ LinkedIn
DeScherer @ Portland Conservatory of Music
DeScherer @ University of Buffalo
DeScherer @ What Would Morton Feldman Do?
Streaming Audio
[none at the moment]
Recordings
[none at the moment]
Video
DeScherer @ YouTube
DeScherer @ Google Video
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