On Composition, feat Ben Cosgrove | TRACES Appendix 35

A conversation with composer and traveling musician Ben Cosgrove about music, composition, traveling, creative careers, landscapes, portraits, and more.

Find me at [email protected]

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About the Guest:
Ben Cosgrove is a traveling composer-performer whose music explores themes of landscape, place, and environment. Described by the Boston Globe as “a sonic plein-air painter” who “uses his piano as a paintbrush,” Ben has performed in every U.S. state except for Delaware, collaborated with groups ranging from rock bands to research scientists, contributed music to several radio and film projects (including the recent Ken Burns documentary The American Buffalo), and held residencies and fellowships with institutions including NASA, the National Park Service, the National Forest Service, Harvard University, Middlebury College, the Schmidt Ocean Institute, and the Sitka Center for Art & Ecology. 

Ben’s music has been called "beautiful and fascinating" (The Maine Edge), "deeply impressive" (Independent Clauses), and "immediately evocative and fully arresting... brim[ming] with technical mastery and emotional capital" (Seven Days). His newest record, Bearings, a collection of improvisation-based music that reflects upon the relationship between movement and place, was released in 2023. You can read more about Bearings here, stream it on all platforms here, and order the album in CD, vinyl, or digital formats here.

For more about Ben and his work, please visit bencosgrove.com

Set-Up:
- Camera: https://amzn.to/3PZVscb (don't laugh)
- Microphone: https://amzn.to/46f3pB5
- Teleprompter Stand: https://amzn.to/3tgS98y
- Telepromter App: https://amzn.to/46jdH31
- Teleprompter Screen:  https://amzn.to/3PNfKFI (yup)
- Headphones: https://amzn.to/46gMSwo

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Ben Cosgrove and his work
03:02 The Intersection of Music and Geography
11:12 The Power of Metaphor in Music
28:04 Capturing the Essence of a Place Through Sound
39:20 Navigating the Challenges of Social Media
45:28 Exploring the Elements of Music: Texture and Dynamic Range
53:36 Embracing a Creative Life: Courage and Passion
01:00:14 The Importance of Human Experience in Art
01:06:46 The Potential Impact of Generative AI Music Tools
01:11:16 Preserving Humanity in the Age of AI.

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