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Words & Music: A Conversation with Poets and Composers

him lots of stuff to respond to. I share it. He sits with it elements in place. I so appreciate the way he organizes
for a while... the chaos we generate into a kind of divine coherence
Then he sends me a markup and calls me to walk and then he flows that into musical beauty and mean-
through his reactions. This conversation is usually a ing.
give-and-take. By now I’ve developed a stronger vi-
sion of the piece than Jake has, because I’ve been in
the creative process of it, so Jake usually has to talk Newhouse: Kyle calls with a “Hey, are you interest-
me through that, and in the process, either my vision ed…” request, and because he’s endlessly inventive as
will change or he will begin to embrace it, or he’ll start a composer and so generous about our process, the
having new ideas that will take it in another direction answer’s always yes. He typically has all the details of
entirely…or some combination of all of that. In the the assignment I describe above, then we set a tenta-
weeks to follow I’ll produce another draft, using what tive deadline for my first draft. My goal as a writer is to
I’ve learned. I still want to surprise him with something give him something that sparks the strongest and most
fresh that takes our vision to the next level, but by now immediate musical response—the writer works for the
I’m also aware of his evolving vision and I want to re- composer, not the other way ‘round. As for my own
spond to where his passions are. Ideally, we’re equally process, I take all the elements of the commission into
excited about the finished piece, which might be an- a kind of creative cave in my brain; I invite my own
other three or four (sometimes twice that many) drafts soul and heart in as well. Then I start moving my pen
away yet. Our process of exchange continues, draft af- across the page, letting it run and run and run. On av-
ter draft, until we’re equally excited. erage I’ll have thirty to forty pages of pre-writing that
will ultimately come down to three to four stanzas of
finished text. That sounds crazy in terms of Return-on-
Cordero: Our collaboration process is one of my favor- Investment, I know, but this is the part of the process
ites because it includes almost everything but writing that I love the most, the joy of creation.
the text and music. Julie and I have these wonderful
calls where we talk about art, life, and how we are do- Pederson: After the initial discussion that Brian de-
ing through the challenges of life. We create connec- scribes, he squirrels away and produces some magic.
tions with poems, books, movies, music, and anything With the resulting text, I’ll noodle on the piano and
we can think about. We live in this brainstorm-like hur- see what musical ideas emerge. I’ll share those ideas
ricane of ideas where I always end up feeling better and with Brian, because often that initial music will prompt
renewed. Our process allows for space for honesty and some additions/deletions/edits in the text. The mu-
mistakes, for laughter and struggles. It also allows for me sic and text end up influencing each other as we keep
to comment on words and for her to comment on mu- working. Brian is incredibly generous with his time. It’s
sic, which is always fun to see each other’s perspectives. a luxury to work with him.

Flanders: Yes, it’s really about entering the unknown
together and exploring the uncertainties that make For the poets: Once you have finished a text, are
a piece interesting. What is extraordinary in working you willing/able to adjust it for the needs of the
with Carlos is how often I will send him notes of what composition?
I am thinking about or come to a call with a map of
possibilities, and he will show me his own journal of Bock: Yes. As a publisher, I know that you have to
exploration and we have been absolutely synchronized make the finished publication the best that it can pos-
and coincident in our journeys. It’s like a waking dream sibly be, and there are times where the text has to be
to find a piece together. Also, Carlos has an incredible adjusted to fit what the composer is writing. There’s
ability to structure and hold a powerful architecture of obviously a back-and-forth in that process. In my case,

14 CHORAL JOURNAL March/April 2023 Volume 63 Number 7