WQXR’s Q2 Presents A Crowdsourced Selection Of Young Composers

WQXR Part of Classical 105.9 WQXR, Q2 is a listener-supported, New York-based Internet stream devoted to the music of living composers. Follow Q2 onfacebook/Q2 andTwitter/Q2music. For more information, visithttp://www.wqxr.org/series/q2/.

April 17, 2011

A few weeks ago, Q2 and NPR Music launched a crowdsourced project to determine listeners’ favorite composers under the age of 40 — and, by extension, those pieces which were shaping our contemporary musical scene and defining what it means to be a composer in the 21st century. On Facebook, Twitter and the aggregating pages on Q2 and NPR Music, an international array of comments poured in, reaching almost 800 suggestions in total. With much debate and awareness of such a list’s limitations, we’ve narrowed the field down to 100 composers, each represented by one song in a randomized stream on this page.

If there’s any lesson in what a user-generated project such as this can offer, it’s that the narrow notion of what it means to be a composer — writing in the shadow of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms — is well on its way to obsolescence. Forget dusty ideals of court or church appointments, or those notions of plumbing the depths of the soul for salvation. The 21st-century composer makes his home wherever he sees fit, uses a battery of electric guitars and drums in the same breath as a section of violins and violas, and performs for a rabidly dancing audience on one night and at a concert-hall subscription series the next.

How do you know when you’re hearing a composer? All we can really say, to paraphrase the late Potter Stewart, is: “I know it when I hear it.” We’re thrilled that this project has brought together singer-songwriters and bandleaders, experimental musicians and technophiles, jazz artists and composition students, composer collectives and one-man shows, and couldn’t be more excited to reclaim the terms “composer” and even “classical music” for a 21st-century vocabulary. Read below for a complete list of those 100 composers featured — and, most importantly, let us know your thoughts on what it means to compose in the 21st century.

100 COMPOSERS UNDER 40

• Arooj Aftab
• Andy Akiho
• Karin Dreijer Andersson (The Knife)
• Timothy Andres
• Darcy James Argue
• Ólafur Arnalds
• Lera Auerbach
• Rusty Banks
• Mick Barr (Orthrelm, Ocrilim)
• Mason Bates
• Abbie Betinis
• Andrew Bird
• Jón Thór Birgisson (Jónsi, Sigur Rós)
• Daníel Bjarnason
• James Blackshaw
• Tyondai Braxton
• Peter Broderick
• Caleb Burhans
• Jason Cady
• Ryan Carter
• Christopher Cerrone
• Ann Cleare
• Anna Clyne
• Zach Condon (Beirut)
• Dan Deacon
• Dennis DeSantis
• Bryce Dessner (Clogs, The National)
• Nicholas Deyoe
• Avner Dorman
• Alexandra du Bois
• duYun
• Steven Ellison (Flying Lotus)
• Roshanne Etezady
• Jefferson Friedman
• Ben Frost
• Ashley Rose Fure
• Judd Greenstein
• Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead)
• Rachel Grimes
• Ben Hackbarth
• Joseph Hallman
• Mary Halvorson
• Andrew Hamilton
• Imogen Heap
• Ted Hearne
• Tim Hecker
• Robert Honstein
• Matthew Hough
• Takuma Itoh
• Vijay Iyer
• Colin Jacobsen
• Richard D. James (Aphex Twin)
• Gabriel Kahane
• Mikael Karlsson
• Zoe Keating
• Amy Beth Kirsten
• Andrea La Rose (Anti-Social Music)
• David T. Little
• Dave Longstreth (Dirty Projectors)
• Charlie Looker (Extra Life)
• David Ludwig
• John Mackey
• Rudresh Mahanthappa
• Missy Mazzoli (Victoire)
• Matt McBane
• Clint McCallum
• Alex Mincek (Wet Ink Ensemble)
• Pat Muchmore (Anti-Social Music)
• Nico Muhly
• Eric Nathan
• Angelica Negron
• Jonathan Newman
• Joanna Newsom
• Andrew Norman
• Dustin O’Halloran
• Tarik O’Regan
• Owen Pallett
• Carter Pann
• Jessica Pavone
• Tristan Perich
• Paola Prestini
• Gabriel Prokofiev
• Joel Puckett
• Kevin Puts
• Carl Schimmel
• Aaron Siegel
• Valgeir Sigurðsson
• Sarah Kirkland Snider
• Esperanza Spalding
• D.J. Sparr
• Sufjan Stevens
• Kjartan Sveinsson (Sigur Rós)
• Joby Talbot
• Anthony Vine
• Matthew Welch
• Keith Fullerton Whitman
• Charlie Wilmoth
• Daniel Wohl
• Eric Wubbels
• Katherine A. Young

http://www.npr.org/2011/04/23/135473622/the-mix-100-composers-under-40

Apr 5, 2011

By SONIA MANSOOR

December 23, 2010 by Kalsoom

Lahore-born and raised Arooj Aftab is an emerging musician whose music is influenced by an array of artists – from traditional Pakistani singers to contemporary sounds from the likes of  Erykah Badu. A self-taught guitarist, Arooj was one of four recipients of Berklee Music’s first merit-based scholarship, allowing this innovative musician to receive a formal music education at the acclaimed college.  Today, she lives in Brooklyn, and has plans to tour Pakistan and the region next year with a unique blend of artistry that encompasses a true spectrum of global sounds. Below, she answers a few questions for CHUP:

Q: You are a self-taught guitarist from Pakistan who received a scholarship to study at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. What was the transition like? Did you have formal training prior to your time at Berklee?

I actually received a percentage of my tuition as scholarship from Berklee on voice merit, and managed the rest through college loans in true struggling musician fashion! I continued to study voice as my instrument, and music production/engineering as my major at Berklee College of Music. I was teaching myself guitar through my A Levels, performing a bit underground and releasing cover songs on the internet. Right out of Lahore Grammar School (LGS), I won the Steve Vai Berklee Online school scholarship, which gave me a year to study Western music theory prior to actually attending the college.

The transition was pretty smooth- I was very hungry to learn as much as I could about music from everyone around me.Aside from the organized Western classical music and jazz theory I was introduced to, the college also had a large percentage of international students — so it really was incredible to be exposed to instruments, rhythms, sounds and messages from all over the world as well. However, I was the only Pakistani, and with no classical training I spent much time reading and listening to our own music – solidifying and familiarizing myself to old recordings, learning the root by ear so that I could reproduce, replicate and represent Pakistani music in the West.

Q: How have traditional Pakistani music and sounds influenced your music and growth as an artist? What other artists and genres influence you as an artist?

I think it is essential to know the root, and own it with whatever art form you chose to embody. I have always looked to our ancestors and the endless army of great musicians from all over the diaspora for guidance through my years of pursuing music. I would say that a lot of my vocal technique and phrasings come from repetitively and incessantly listening to recordings of Abida Parveen, Begum Akhtar, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali, Bismillah Khan, Nusrat, Ustad Barkat Ali Khan, and so forth. Brazilian fado and flamenco styles also inspire me, as do other types of music.

Q: In Pakistan, there isn’t much importance placed on musical training among youth, despite the popularity of Pakistani pop stars. However, shows like Coke Studio have become popular because of their fusion of traditional and mainstream sounds. Do you think these trends are changing society’s sentiment towards music in Pakistan? How important do you think it is to give youth access to such training?

Classical training is not easy. It requires years of solid dedication and being both physically and mentally present.

The skill is so intricate, intense and intimate that the relationship between teacher and apprentice is sacred. Everything has its own pace, knowledge is imparted in stages, hard work is noted and rewarded for – all together, it’s a very serious process.

I think it’s hard for people to wrap their heads around such an intense dedication to music-  and it is something that is not given much social or monetary value in Pakistan right now. Initiatives like Coke Studio are creating a new found appreciation and fresh direction for music listeners, but young people will not feel confident making solid commitments [to pursue music] unless attitudes towards musicianship itself change.

Q: What do you hope to achieve through your music? Has there been a difference in people’s response to you in the West versus in our part of the world?

Well to be honest, I have yet to perform properly in Pakistan– it has been almost five years since I moved to the U.S. for my degree and have been performing throughout this country, representing Pakistan, while learning, experimenting and developing my sound. Appreciation will always be warm and ample in the U.S., people approach music with a great deal of etiquette and respect. Even when the audience is unfamiliar with the language, they have always been keen on taking in whatever they can get via instrumentation, energy and vibe of the pieces. I am excited to book our debut Pakistan tour soon! Next year we plan to fly through all the main cities with the full band– and also possibly do a few cities in India [my guitar player and co-composer Bhrigu Sahni is from Pune]. I want each concert to be like a big shaadi, as if we are wedding all the cities together. It is a really romantic peace healing concept.

Q: What role can music play in bridging divides? Do you hope to play a role in such forms of public diplomacy?

As an activist in Boston and New York, I have found it very difficult to rally people here towards pro-Pakistan activities. The media misconceptions and general fear of what Pakistan even is, has laid a bed of silence over activist communities here. That’s why it’s important for everyone who is Pakistani and has creative, peace promoting, healing agendas– to be louder than ever before. Be present on the web even if you hate Twitter or Facebook— really get the color, the alive, the humor, the heritage and all the love out there. There is much diplomatic power in unifying and celebrating creativity throughout the diaspora.

Collaborative projects are also a great tool that we arent using enough- I have been working with a lot of incredible South Asian artists in the Brooklyn/New York scene recently, including Tamil Sri Lankan Dance/Spoken word artistYaliniDream. There are other amazing artists doing incredible work that should be celebrated, and one of my upcoming projects will be a blog that aims to showcase new South Asian/Diaspora artists each week.

To learn more about Arooj Aftab and her music, visit her website.

Arooj Aftab – Man Kunto Mola [for the initiative Rebuild Pakistan]

BANDS WE LIKE: THE CLASSICAL CROONING OF AROOJ AFTAB

Few young Desi musicians are as true to tradition as Arooj Aftab, a classically trained singer from Pakistan by way of Boston. Her soft voice and controlled vibrato add dimensions of depth to a single note. I saw Arooj at Jamming for Pakistan, one of countless recent benefits for flood victims in Pakistan. Between rock bands and rappers, her set accompanied only by an acoustic guitarist was a notably mellow moment in the night’s line up. When she took the stage, the room fell to a hush and Arooj filled the space with her gentle yet surprisingly forceful vocal style.

Though her singing speaks to a tried and true format, Arooj incorporates western instruments into her music rather than the traditional qawwali party. I’m guessing the pool of musicians at her alma mater, Berklee, provided some of the talent that accompanies her. At Jamming for Pakistan, guitarist Stelios Michas solely laid down a foundation with understated guitar plucking, but Arooj has been known to have more of an acoustic ensemble backing her.

Her music is calm and it doesn’t max out the LEDs on the mixer quite as much as some of the other stuff we’re into, but there’s definite talent here. We’re waiting to hear a release from this young songstress, or at least some more examples of her skill.

http://mtvdesi.com/2010/11/23/bands-we-like-the-classical-crooning-of-arooj-aftab/

Preparing for
the Next Step
Born and raised in Pakistan, Arooj Aftab was an entirely self-taught
guitarist in a culture where opportunities for music study—especially
for women—are severely limited. When she applied for a Berkleemusic
online scholarship, she had no idea how many doors it would open—
or that it would lead her to the United States.
After taking several online courses, Arooj applied for admission to
Berklee’s physical school in Boston—and was accepted. She had built a
solid foundation by studying Berklee’s core curriculum online.
Arooj graduated with Berklee’s Class of 2009 and credits Berkleemusic
for getting her started.

http://www.patrickwraymond.com/images/gallery/berklee/berklee_brochure.pdf#page=12

Hadiqa Kiani

Zeb and Haniya they have produced a diverse body of work, combining pop music with folk music. Their debut album received positive reviews in most of Pakistan’s major newspapers, and they have been hailed as one of the best all-female band of Pakistan.In 2009, they performed at the Coke Studio Sessions along with many other successful musicians. Lets see what the duo are upto in 2010.

Meesha Shafi has recently entered into the music industry. In her band’s ‘Pichal Pairee’ video, Meesha sports a sexy, sultry and edgy look. Her voice is extremely fresh and very distinct from the other mainstream female singers and vocalists and the dark grungy look replete with a tattoo has made some compare her to Amy Winehouse. A woman of tremendous drive, she can take the pressure of multifarious roles redefines what it means to be an achiever in the industry.

Annie made massive waves in 2006 with her song Mahiya. Mahiya was featured in a Bollywood film called Awarapan and due to the success of the movie she is still the dream girl of many Pakistani men. She has been titled the Pakistani Britney Spears due to her “moves” and…well lack of a live performance. But, Annie has seriously caused a stir in Pakistan. She is suppose to be releasing her second album this year…

Fariha Pervez is a very talented singer and has shown her singing capability throughout her career which has spawn over a decade now. Most recently Fariha has released a music video which features top female models such as Rabia Butt. And, although this video has received a decent response it wont be on her upcoming album for that albums first single we will just have to wait and see…

Maryam Kizilbash is a singer, song-writer and published poetess. In 2009 Maryam returned to Pakistan to embark on her singing career. Zara Palat Kay was her debut album and was very popular in 2009 as was her song Zara Palat Kay. Since ’09 Maryam has “quit” singing but we hope to hear from her again very soon.

Zara Madani, Zara is a very popular singer these days, she recently did a music video with Zohaib Kazi and Naad -e- Ali titled “Maan Lo” and even more recently she has released another collaboration with Fuzon’s Shallum that video has received a good response and is airing on all local channels. Zara is definitely a singer to look out for from Khuda Ke Liye to Payam she has delivered and lets see what else she brings out.

Schaz Khan is not new to controversy, her debut music video with top female model Iraj Mansoor was banned but in the past year she came back. With a new sound and a new look she tried her best to make waves. Although she hasn’t made much waves yet, we still have hope for Schaz.

Arooj Aftab is a true internet sensation. Her songs are often viewed on youtube and on her website. Arooj is currently working on her Bachelors degree in Music Production and Engineering from Berklee College of Music in Boston. Arooj’s music is a breath of fresh air and hopefully she will come to Pakistan very soon and release an album here!

Natasha Ejaz is a 21 year old aspiring musician from Islamabad. Over the years, she has played many sponsored and unsponsored gigs around Islamabad performing covers of some of her favourite songs. Natasha is looking forward to collaborations with other musicians as well. Natasha has a music video in the pipelines to be released this year.

Natasha is the self proclaimed “Pop Diva”. Her debut videos was “Bau jee” directed by Jawad Bashir with music by Shumair. This song and video were on all of the established music channels. But since then she has hushed down a little, she also is suppose to release her next single very soon.

Rabi Pirzada is a black belt, a drummer, Her first single was released in 2004 then in 2006 she released Mujhe Ishq Hai and rest is “mike make-out” history. On a serious note she did receive quite a lot of fame for that song and has recently started to make TV appearances again and according to rumours she will also release an album this year. All the best Rabi.

Huma Khawaja. Huma was part of the first Pakistani Female Band and since then she is still rocking. She was suppose to perform at Aag Alive but due to her day-time job as an air hostess for Emirates she couldn’t perform. This scheduled performance has sparked rumours for a comeback.

The Pakistani Pop industry is very much male dominated but lets see this decade change all of that….Girl Power!

http://www.mastikorner.com/2010/01/15/girls-of-the-pakistani-pop-industry-who-truly-rock/

Composed first by guitar prodigy Aamir Zaki in 1995, this track has been covered many times. Arooj Aftab’s version of ‘Mera Pyar’ is a must listen, primarily because of her voice. Arooj hasn’t tried to replicate the exact same guitar riffs. On the contrary, she put her own musical knowledge to test here and as a result has created a number that remains superlative. She sings convincingly and even though she is unable to bring Zaki’s morbid style, she brings a level of subtle aggression that sets this track apart from the original. Interestingly, Arooj reminds one of Candy Perira of The Milestones fame. That said, she is certainly not a copy cat act.
Currently studying music at the Berkeley College of Music in Boston, Arooj Aftab, when she returns, will be a great new addition the local music scene.

A great cover of the original, this is a must hear for all. Other covers include ‘Mera Pyar’ by Aamir Zaki and Hadiqa Kiyani.

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/may2007-weekly/nos-13-05-2007/instep/article3.htm