The University of Alabama: Composition & Theory

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The University of Alabama: Composition & Theory

This page helps to highlight students, faculty, and the amazing things happening in our department!

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02/19/2025

For today's UA Composition Spotlight, we're featuring Mason McCool.

Mason is from Gordo, AL and is pursuing a bachelor's in Music Composition.

Mason's pronouns are he/him.

You can find his music at www.masonmccoolmusic.com and & on Instagram.

Here are Mason’s answers to the following questions:

What are you listening to right now?

Answer: "A whole wide range of music. Ēriks Ešenvalds, Howard Shore, Rend Collective, Lizzy McAlpine, jake minch - everything!"

What inspires you?

Answer: “Everything and everyone around me. There is music in everything and inside of everyone, and we get to discover that music for ourselves - how beautiful that is!"

What kind of music do you like to write?

Answer: “Mostly accompanied and unaccompanied choral music, a ca****la arrangements, solo piano works; I've also started composing more for orchestras! In everything I compose, I try to convey a story, a feeling, a description of the world around me."

Why did you choose The University of Alabama?

Answer: “I'll be honest and say it was for the scholarships; however, once I got here, I realized just how incredible the School of Music is and how many opportunities there are for student success. This truly is the place where legends are made."

What are some of your recent accomplishments?

Answer: “One of my choral compositions, 'Psalm 23,' will be performed this semester with the UA University Singers as they go on tour to Germany!"

01/27/2025

For today's UA Composition Spotlight, we're featuring James Romines.

James is from Huntsville, AL and is pursuing a bachelor's in Music Composition.

James's pronouns are he/him.

Here are his answers to the following questions:

What are you listening to right now?

Answer: "Indie Pop and Indie Rock."

What inspires you?

Answer: “I really love exploring new ideas and genres."

What kind of music do you like to write?

Answer: “I currently write mostly classical and rock, but I also like to branch out."

Why did you choose The University of Alabama?

Answer: “The music faculty and staff. They are really passionate about music and really passionate about the students. They make me want to learn more about music and I love them a lot!"

01/22/2025

For today's UA Composition Spotlight, we're featuring Charles Vaughan.

Charles is from Georgia, and is pursuing a bachelor's in Music Composition.

Here are Charles’s answers to the following questions:

What are you listening to right now?

Answer: "Bird calls."

What inspires you?

Answer: “Learning new things."

What kind of music do you like to write?

Answer: “Experimental, yet casual."

01/13/2025

For today's UA Composition Spotlight, we're featuring Harrison Bruner.

Harrison is from Highland, AR and is pursuing a doctorate in Music Performance.

Harrison's pronouns are he/him.

Here are Harrison’s answers to the following questions:

What are you listening to right now?

Answer: "Right now, a lot of Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, and Kendrick Lamar."

What inspires you?

Answer: “My love of music, performance, teaching, and my amazing family and friends (especially my wife)!"

What kind of music do you like to write?

Answer: “I love writing chamber music, and music for horn!"

Why did you choose The University of Alabama?

Answer: “When I applied to UA, my primary professor, Skip Snead, immediately made me feel at home. Roll Tide!"

What are some of your recent accomplishments?

Answer: “I was recently named the winner of the 2024 International Horn Society Premier Soloist Competition, and I was awarded the Gretchen Snedeker Prize at the 2024 International Horn Competition of America!"

12/02/2024

For today's UA Composition Spotlight, we're featuring Andrew Braun.

Andrew is from Houston, Texas and is pursuing a bachelor's in Music Composition.

Here are Andrew’s answers to the following questions:

What are you listening to right now?

Answer: "Masayoshi Takanaka, colter wall, David Bowie, Metallica, and various film scores."

What inspires you?

Answer: “The power of music. It’s ability to transcend any barrier like language, culture, and beliefs always fascinates me and drives me to create."

What kind of music do you like to write?

Answer: “Orchestral, symphonic, and instrumental."

Why did you choose The University of Alabama?

Answer: “I was offered a scholarship, and after auditioning I was accepted into the trombone studio before I switched my focus last year to composition."

What are some of your recent accomplishments?

Answer: “Just finished and currently polishing a piece for the UA trombone choir as well as an arrangement for the million dollar band trombone section."

11/11/2024

For today's UA Composition Spotlight, we're featuring Jeremiah Nixon.

Jeremiah is from Baton Rouge, LA and is triple-majoring in Biology, History, and German.

Jeremiah's pronouns are he/him.

You can find his music at https://sites.google.com/view/jeremiah-nixon/homepage

Here are Jeremiah's answers to the following questions:

What are you listening to right now?

Answer: "Currently, I am listening to a lot of different types of non-classical music. I have been really enjoying Clairo’s latest two albums Charm and Sling. I also have been listening to a variety of different German artists like Ski Aggu and HE/RO. For classical music I have been really getting into Emilio de’ Cavalieri’s setting of Lamentations and also Wie liegt die Stadt so wüst by Rudolf Mauersberger which, ironically is another setting of Lamentations. I also have been listening to some great English Romantic choral composers such as Charles Villiers Stanford (especially his Three Latin Motets) and Robert Pearsall (especially his Lay a garland)."

What inspires you?

Answer: “I am very inspired by the works of composers before me, obviously. I especially like hearing how composers came to discover or decide on different musical elements in their pieces. This is hard, however, due to the fact that most of the composers I adore have been dead for decades or even centuries. On the other hand, as a language major and as a choral composer, I am very interested in and inspired by how different languages’ use diction and grammar in their writings. I am very inspired by the exploration of new linguistic features and the implementation of them in my works."

What kind of music do you like to write?

Answer: “The instrument I am inextricably tied to is the unaccompanied choir and most of my works are choral. This is the type of music I find most fulfilling and that I am most comfortable writing for. However, recently I have begun to start writing for other instruments like the orchestra and string quartet, which has been rather interesting and different from the choir!"

Why did you choose The University of Alabama?

Answer: “I chose UA because of the amazingly generous scholarships that are offered here. Also it was the perfect distance away from home while also not being too far."

11/04/2024

For today's UA Composition Spotlight, we're featuring Alex Batts.

Alex is a Freshman from Kingsport, Tennessee and is pursuing a bachelor's in Music Composition.

Alex's pronouns are they/them.

You can find their music on Instagram

Here are Alex’s answers to the following questions:

What are you listening to right now?

Answer: “City Pop and modern Big Band Jazz.”

What inspires you?

Answer: “How much fun it is to make music with friends."

What kind of music do you like to write?

Answer: “Jazz and Big Band charts."

Why did you choose The University of Alabama?

Answer: “I really liked all the professors when I visited, and it has a good music program."

10/28/2024

For today's UA Composition Spotlight, we're featuring Suni Lei.

Suni is from Zhuhai, China and is pursuing a doctorate in Music Composition.

Suni's pronouns are she/her.

You can find her music at https://soundcloud.com/suni-lei on SoundCloud.

Here are Suni’s answers to the following questions:

What are you listening to right now?

Answer: "Arvo Pärt - Tabula Rasa "

What inspires you?

Answer: “Nature always inspires me and fuels my creativity in music composition."

What kind of music do you like to write?

Answer: “I enjoy writing contemporary music pieces."

Why did you choose The University of Alabama?

Answer: “Because of its outstanding composition program and the excellent faculty members."

What are some of your recent accomplishments?

Answer: “This year, I set up my own personal piano studio at home."

10/21/2024

For today's UA Composition Spotlight, we're featuring Kearis Cook.

Kearis is a Junior from Spanish Fort, AL and is pursuing a bachelor's in Music Composition.

Kearis's pronouns are he/him.

You can find his music on all platforms under the name "Kea".

Here are Kearis’s answers to the following questions:

What are you listening to right now?

Answer: “Contemporary R&B.”

What inspires you?

Answer: “I like telling stories, whether it be about my highest moments or my lowest moments… even telling the stories of my friends and family.”

What kind of music do you like to write?

Answer: “Anything I’m feeling at the moment.”

Why did you choose The University of Alabama?

Answer: “Bama chose me.”

What are some of your recent accomplishments?

Answer: “Released at least one song each month in the year of 2024!”

10/14/2024

For today's UA Composition Spotlight, we're featuring Joshua Ogle.

Joshua is a Senior from Birmingham, AL and is pursuing a bachelor's in Music Composition.

Joshua's pronouns are he/him.

You can find his music at https://youtube.com/ on YouTube.

Here are Joshua's answers to the following questions:

What are you listening to right now?

Answer: "It’s more all over the place than it’s ever been right now. Anywhere from Puccini to Kendrick Lamar!"

What inspires you?

Answer: “I was inspired to be a composer when I saw the raw passion but also also careful construction that went into so many masterpieces and wanted to throw my own hat into the ring!”

What kind of music do you like to write?

Answer: “As of right now, instrumental music for piano, as well as any sort of ensemble.”

Why did you choose The University of Alabama?

Answer: “Moving to AL right after graduation made it feel like both an out of state school, and also one close to home!"

Address

Tuscaloosa, AL

Website

http://linktr.ee/uacomposers

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