Commissioned Composer
~Bridging the Gap for Flute and Fixed Media ~
Charles Norman Mason, Composer
Jennifer Grim, Flutist
Charles Norman Mason, Composer
Jennifer Grim, Flutist
The theme of the Florida Music Teachers Association Conference for which this piece was commissioned is “Breaking Barriers Through Music.” In line with that theme, my work Bridging the Gap continues my interest in a style I call hyperconnectivism. The word Connective refers to the idea of disparate parts working together towards a common goal. The term Hyper refers to on the one hand, the edge where great things happen; on the other hand, to the point where at any moment, all could fall into disarray, the border right before chaos. The zeitgeist of our times is the feeling that we are all connected more than ever before. At first, this may seem counter to the ubiquitous experience of seeing everyone’s head buried in their smart phones, but while we may be disconnected with those immediately around us, we are more connected to those that are distant from us. The Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the miners trapped in a Chilean mine, clearly shows how connected we are. We experience happy and tragic events in real time despite them occurring halfway around the world from us. With this piece, I wanted to express a positive aspect of hyperconnectivism, the exhilaration of disparate parts working together towards a common goal. I do this by combining the human (the flutist) with the machine (the fixed media portion), a melding of the two such that a super instrument is created that greater than simply the sum of the two.
Charles Norman Mason has received many awards for his compositions including the Rome Prize, the American Composer Orchestra “Playing it Unsafe” prize, the International Society of Bassists prize, the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award American Prize, Fresh Minds selection prize, First Prize in Yoon Jin Kim’s Contemporary Music Composers Around the World Competition, the Premi Internacional de Composición Musical Ciutat de Tarragona Orchestra prize, a National Endowment of the Arts Individual Artist Award, First Prize in the Atlanta Clarinet Association Composition Competition, a Delius Prize, and the Dale Warland Singers Commission Prize. His music has been performed throughout the world and broadcast on NPR (“Performance Today”), RIAA in Italy, and Mexico’s 94.5 FM on which he was the subject of two radio programs. His collaborative works with video have appeared in Yerba Buena (San Francisco) and featured in the New York Times magazine. His music is available on Albany Records, Beauport Classical, Innova Recordings, Quindecim Recordings, North/South Consonance Recordings, Capstone Recordings, Seamus Recordings, and Living Artist Recordings. Dr. Mason is chair of the composition department at the Frost School of Music, University of Miami and is professor of composition. His website is charlesnormanmason.com.
Jennifer Grim has performed with such renowned ensembles as the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble, Boston Chamber Music Society, and is the flutist of the award-winning Zéphyros Winds and the New York Chamber Soloists. She also serves as Principal Flute of the Mozart Orchestra of New York and has given solo and chamber performances at major venues throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.
Ms. Grim is Associate Professor at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. She previously served on the faculty of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for twelve years, where she was recognized with the Teacher of the Year Award in 2017. In demand as a clinician, she has given masterclasses at the Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, and Yale University, among many others. A native of Berkeley, California, Ms. Grim holds degrees from Stanford University (BA) and Yale University (MM, MMA, DMA). Recently appointed Artistic Administrator of the Frost School at Festival Napa Valley, Ms. Grim also serves on the Board of Directors of Chamber Music America and was the 2021 Program Chair for the National Flute Association Annual Convention.
Ms. Grim is Associate Professor at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. She previously served on the faculty of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for twelve years, where she was recognized with the Teacher of the Year Award in 2017. In demand as a clinician, she has given masterclasses at the Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, and Yale University, among many others. A native of Berkeley, California, Ms. Grim holds degrees from Stanford University (BA) and Yale University (MM, MMA, DMA). Recently appointed Artistic Administrator of the Frost School at Festival Napa Valley, Ms. Grim also serves on the Board of Directors of Chamber Music America and was the 2021 Program Chair for the National Flute Association Annual Convention.