The Inside Story: Mark Zanter and FLEETING REALMS VOL. 2

photo credit: Shelby Ard

Even the briefest moments can burn themselves into memory, inspiring feelings that last a lifetime. On FLEETING REALMS VOL 2, works in chamber settings tap into our innermost thoughts and emotions, stirring the senses and sparking imagination. Earth Endures; Stars Abide from composer Mark Zanter is featured in this collection, a conceptual composition reflecting correlations between Greek elements and music. 

Today, Mark is our featured artist in “The Inside Story,” a blog series exploring the inner workings and personalities of our composers and performers. Read on to learn about Mark’s use of computers and live processing in his performances, and his self diagnosed case of Gear Acquisition Syndrome… 

Who were your first favorite artists growing up?

Like many composers of my generation, I was first inspired by rock and pop music; for myself, progressive rock or metal were my first inspirations. I remember seeing clips of Jimi Hendrix’s performance at Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and being mesmerized by the fluid connection between his movements and the sound issuing from them. That sent me on my way into a period of exploring my heroes and their influences: Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Hendrix, Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter, T-Bone Walker, and so on. Later on, I became interested in jazz and am influenced by Barney Kessel, Joe Pass, Herb Ellis, Charlie Bird, Pat Metheny, and Django Reinhart. I soon moved onto Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Chick Corea, and the like. That period set me on my way in further exploration of improvisation, eventually leading me to AACM Musicians: Butch Morris, Derek Bailey, and John Zorn, all of whom were influential while I was pursuing my studies at university.

When did you realize that you wanted to be an artist?

As a teenager, I was actively involved in the local music scene where I grew up, playing at open stage blues jams and gigs with my rock group. At that point, I decided that music would be my path, but practical concerns governed my early choices. A few years later, I committed to a career in music during my undergraduate degree and the scope and emphasis of my activities have remained much the same since that time. At present, I regard myself as a mid-career composer; I’m still composing, performing, researching, and actively seeking commissions and performances of my work. The time I’ve been with PARMA and Navona Records has been productive and beneficial in developing my career.

What was your most unusual performance, or the most embarrassing thing that happened to you during a performance?

As a composer who frequently performs with computers and live processing, I’ve had many gear/patch fails over the years. At the UCM Festival of New Music, before a performance of my Donna Lee Triptych, my Max patch failed to recognize my main MIDI controller and I had to reprogram my patch to accept controller data at the start of my performance — nerve-racking!! At Generative Art 2017, on a concert in the Biblioteca del Centro Dantesco in Ravenna, Italy, all of the performing artists had to share a single power source. Just before my performance, some of the gear was accidentally unplugged causing computers and controllers to crash. These are a couple that stand out! When epic fails occur, I usually attempt to solve them by upgrading gear; maybe this is my guilty pleasure? Gear Acquisition Syndrome!

If you could spend creative time anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Oftentimes artists seek out residencies to go somewhere free from the distractions of home. Over the past couple decades, I’ve done many residencies in the United States and abroad in urban and beautiful natural settings. I’ve never spent an extended amount of time in a desert though, and I think the desolate, unforgiving landscape would be a profound inspiration.

What does this album mean to you personally?

I was really pleased when my PARMA representative Jake Smith contacted me regarding the call for scores for Ergon Ensemble. Earth Endures, Stars Abide has been a successful work for me and I am very pleased that it has been given a new life through the issue of FLEETING REALMS VOL 2. To be able to share this with a wider audience means a lot!

Is there a specific feeling that you would like communicated to audiences in this work?

I am increasingly interested in creating music with a palpable physical effect in live performance. Earth Endures, Stars Abide is influenced by John Beaulieu’s work with sound in the healing arts, and I hope that those who hear the work will be open to have an experience of mind and body. Let’s all hope that the coming months and years are filled with much live music making and concert going!