Studio Z
  • Home
  • About
    • About Studio Z
    • Artists in Residence
    • Purchasing Tickets
    • Accessibility
    • Neighborhood Ammenities
    • Zeitgeist
    • Event Archive
  • Calendar
  • Rent Studio Z
  • Directions & Parking
  • Contact
  • Blog


STUDIO Z Blog

A PROJECT OF ZEITGEIST NEW MUSIC

Eric Stokes Song Contest Winner Ivan Cunningham

2/8/2016

3 Comments

 
Picture
Each year the winning songs from the Eric Stokes Song Contest are widely varied and always delightful. This year is no different! Today we shine the spotlight on 2016 youth winner Ivan Cunningham. Ivan is a 16-year-old junior at Perpich Center For Arts Education. His winning composition, Sanctions, will be performed at Zeitgeist's Playing it Close to Home concerts Feb. 18-21. 


I've always been interested in music. Through having musician parents, I've always had an entire library of music at my fingertips for me to listen to and learn from. I started playing saxophone at 10 years old, and it has been my main instrument since. Over the last few years, I've become very interested in jazz and other forms of improvisational music. I have had playing experience in my father's ensemble Fall of The House of Usher, as well a group I formed with my friends, Halcyon Daze. 

I wrote this piece, Sanctions, for Janika Vandevelde's composition class at Perpich. We each wrote a piece for the Zeitgeist instrumentation and then had the amazing opportunity to take a field trip to Studio Z so we could hear our pieces sightread by the ensemble and receive a recording of the reading. 

I only started getting serious about notated composition this school year, due to the classes I've been taking at Perpich. Since I started school at Perpich, I have discovered that composing and playing music is all I want to do with my life. I have found a new way of expressing myself and I believe that it is a beautiful thing. 

I would like to thank Janika Vandervelde for all the countless hours of amazing work she has put into inspiring my class and I. She could not have done a better job in making it clear that she wants us to succeed. 

—Ivan Cunningham

Playing it Close to Home

Feb 18, 9:30 a.m. 
Inver Hills Community College Black Box Theater
2500 80th St E, Inver Grove Heights, MN
$10 / free for students

Feb. 19-20, 7:30 p.m.  
Feb 21, 2 p.m. 
Studio Z: 275 East Fourth Street, Suite 200, St. Paul
$15 / $10 students & seniors

Tickets & Details
3 Comments
Marilee
2/18/2016 10:06:43 am

Congrats Ivan! You are so fortunate to have found this way to express yourself creatively at such a young age. Not many 16 year olds know what they want to do with the rest of their lives. Your talent is such a gift and it's so great that you're making the most of it. Good luck this weekend we will see you on Friday night!

Reply
Moe
2/18/2016 11:56:30 am

Super good. We done seen it in ya! Good job representing the next Kinney/Cunningham gen! Jazz on!

Reply
Mike
2/18/2016 12:00:40 pm

Way to go Ivan! That is awesome

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Studio Z

    A performance space for the music of our time. A project of Zeitgeist New Music.


    SpiRit of The Times

    YOU get to be the critic! Write a review of any event you attend at Studio Z

    Write a Review

    Categories

    All
    Lowertown Listening Sessions
    Stockhausen
    Zeitgeist


    Archives

    August 2022
    March 2022
    September 2021
    August 2021
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    October 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    February 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    October 2012

    RSS Feed

Picture
Studio Z  •  275 East Fourth Street Suite 200, Saint Paul, MN  •  (651) 755-1600