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I CARE IF YOU LISTEN

@icareifyoulisten.bsky.social

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Award-winning multimedia platform for living music creators powered by American Composers Forum. Advocating for marginalized artists & racial equity. https://icareifyoulisten.com/

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I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 3h

"by centering aesthetic standards that closely align with academic culture, we are effectively marginalizing the voices of composers who do not have access to that culture."

Have you read John Dante Prevedini's contribution to our "Money Matters" series? Check it out at:

Ivory Tower Values are Keeping New Music Inaccessible and Unaffordable

Composer John Dante Prevedini shows the cons of centering the university in new music in the third essay for the Money Matters series.

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 6h

"The sections that do feature electronics are central to the work and play a crucial part in its overall structure."

Have you read our interview with Solomiya Moroz? Check it out at:

5 Questions to Solomiya Moroz (composer)

Esteban Meneses chats with Solomiya Moroz about her practice and her newest work for the 2025 Ukrainian Contemporary Music Festival, "The Solar Machine."

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 7h

"In a time when it’s easy to say nothing or obfuscate to avoid consequences and discrimination, Talk Low Festival 2025 had something to say. That queer and trans people are part of our history... that the safety of one person cannot be at expense of another..."
icareifyoulisten.com/2025/10/talk...

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 1d

“at once familiar and unknown, comforting and unsettling."

Have you listened to Natacha Diels' latest album, "Somewhere Beautiful" yet? Check out our review at:

Natacha Diels Takes Us "Somewhere Beautiful"

Christian Kriegeskotte reviews the newest album from composer Natasha Diels, "Somewhere Beautiful," out now.

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 1d

"I’ve been able to discover new sound worlds without the usual “pressure” to make sure that everything “fits” within the typical operational apparatus of a professional orchestra.”

Have you read our interview with Saad Haddad? Check it out at:

5 Questions to Saad Haddad (composer)

Sofía Rocha chats with Saad Haddad about his California Symphony residency, his artistic ideas, and what it's like to run a YouTube channel.

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 1d

"My hope is to become an artist and composer who leads by example, and to show that music can be both serious and playful, whilst also freeing and full of opportunity."

icareifyoulisten.com/2025/10/5-qu...

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 2d

“all ten tracks were recorded extemporaneously with no prior discussion on the direction of the performance, yet there is always a sense of cohesion in the music.”

Read our review of the Muzosynth Orchestra’s first album at:

Muzosynth Orchestra Center Improv and Solidarity on Innovative Debut Album

Dalanie Harris reviews the debut album from Muzosynth Orchestra, a NYC-based improv ensemble of Black, Asian, and Indigenous musicians, out now.

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 2d

"The many traditions of the Caribbean, I feel, showcase a kind of resilience of working people through the most abject conditions. Venceremos."

Listen to Brandon Lopez's ListN Up! Playlist at:

ListN Up Playlist: Brandon Lopez (September 25, 2025)

Brandon Lopez shares a playlist of resistance, featuring Afro-Cuban repertoire, and selections from Eddie Palmieri, Luigi Nono, and more.

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 3d

"Kronos has always sought out the brightest voices from all over the world to collaborate with the group"

Have you read our interview with Kronos’ newest members, Gabriela Díaz and Ayane Kozasa? Check it out at:

5 Questions to Gabriela Díaz and Ayane Kozasa (Kronos Quartet)

Thulasi Seshan sits down with Kronos Quartet members Gabriela Díaz and Ayane Kozasa about joining the legendary group and exciting new projects.

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 3d

“Árabe is all about Syrian and Mexican shared history and culture — and it’s all on this playlist.”

Check out Amanda Ekery’s ListN Up! Playlist, which inspired her latest album, Árabe, at:

ListN Up Playlist: Amanda Ekery (March 6, 2025)

Amanda Ekery shares a playlist of Arabic, Mexican, and country artists who inspire her and her forthcoming album, "Àrabe," out May 9.

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 4d

"Every piece is an opportunity to educate and to make space for a story that hasn’t yet been told, or that hasn’t been told in quite this way or that way"

Have you read our interview with Composer Omar Thomas? Check it out at:

5 Questions to Omar Thomas (composer)

Gemma Peacocke speaks with Omar Thomas about the historical, musical, and religious roots of his newest album, "Griot Songs" (Feb. 7).

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 4d

"The CheckOut is Chicago’s only venue in a former 7-Eleven."

Read about it at:

A New Chicago Venue is Breathing Life into an Abandoned 7-Eleven

Thulasi Seshan chats with Seth Boustead about The CheckOut, Chicago's newest music venue from Access Contemporary Music.

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 5d

In celebration of their 20th anniversary, Third Coast Percussion’s Standard Stoppages (Cedille Records) "reflects on the passage of time in both a musical and a literal sense."

Have you heard the latest album release from Third Coast Percussion yet? Read our album review at:

Third Coast Percussion's "Standard Stoppages" Honors Two Decades of Innovative Music-Making

Michelle Hromin reviews the new album from Third Coast Percussion, celebrating two decades of musicmaking, out Apr 11 on Cedille Records

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 5d

"Over time, the 30-minute work draws the listener in with a soothing, continuously rolling topography of peaks and valleys."

Have you listened to Francisco del Pino and Charlotte Mundy’s album “The Sea”? Check out our review at:

Francisco del Pino and Charlotte Mundy Team Up For Evocative Poetry Settings on "The Sea"

Lauren Ishida reviews the newest record from Francisco del Pino, "The Sea," featuring soprano Charlotte Mundy, out now on Notice Recordings

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 6d

"The old saying, “those who can’t, teach,” is simply an inaccurate anachronism. ”

Have you read the latest Money Matters essay? Ravish Momin, “A Sustainable DIY Hybrid Touring Model,” at:

A Sustainable DIY Hybrid Touring Model

For the "Money Matters" series, Ravish Momin provides a DIY model for making touring an affordable venture.

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 6d

“Whether it’s through my artistic work or my scholarly work, I want to be a vehicle for telling some of the incredible stories you’ve never heard.”

Pianist, musicologist and writer, Dr. Samantha Ege spoke with us about her latest album, “Maestra,” and more. Read the interview at:

5 Questions to Samantha Ege (pianist, scholar)

Forrest Howell sits down with Samantha Ege ahead of the release of her new album, "Maestra" (LORELT) out Mar. 25.

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 6d

“I spent a lot of time at theaters watching actors work and understanding those hit points: the moments at which the story has to progress.... That whole interaction is baked into my music and the way I think about how to present the music."

icareifyoulisten.com/2025/10/jess...

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 7d

"Voices were layered, split into multiple tracks, slowed down or sped up into varied intonations, and then re-stacked into speech collages. There was a rawness to the audio, like the crackle and pop of opening a can of soda."

icareifyoulisten.com/2025/10/berg...

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 8d

"this record was an intentional practice of patience and space, and taught me how to sit and listen."

Have you listened to Macie Stewart's "When the Distance is Blue" yet? Check out our interview of the artist at:

5 Questions to Macie Stewart (multi-instrumentalist, composer)

Tristan McKay chats with Macie Stewart about her newest album, "When the Distance is Blue," out Mar. 21 on International Anthem.

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 8d

"Featuring seven works by American composers from the past 30 years, the album gives listeners the chance to consider: how do unrepresented artists perceive the United States and their place in it?"

Check out our review on the latest Sphinx Virtuosi album at:

Sphinx Virtuosi Explore Diverse Visions of the US on "American Mirror"

Dalanie Harris reviews the second album from Sphinx Virtuosi, "American Mirror," out on August 29 from Deutsche Grammophon.

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 8d

"In the darkness, small gestures feel amplified, and silence itself becomes more present. I wanted to capture that sense of subtlety, the spaces between sounds, and the expressive power of absence..."

icareifyoulisten.com/2025/09/5-qu...

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 9d

"The poem [El Niño Mudo] speaks to me of the impasse often felt in people currently, regarding their past generations, which are largely cut off from them and without viable expression."

Watch the video of Andy Terstiein's “El Niño Mudo” at:

Video Premiere: "El Niño Mudo" by Andy Teirstein

Andrea Jones-Sojola, Finn Dewitt, Xin Ying, and Valerie Naranjo perform "El Niño Mudo," a new musical film composed by Andy Teirstein.

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 9d

Have you listened to Vox Clamantis' stunning new album "And I heard a voice"? A portrait of Arvo Pärt's vocal works, it features 6 pieces and 4 languages! Check it out and read about it at:

Vox Clamantis Stuns in New Portrait Album of Arvo Pärt Vocal Works

Amanda Cook reviews the newest Arvo Pärt album from Vox Clamantis, "And I heard a voice," out on ECM Records September 5.

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 9d

“'location.echo' draws us beneath the surface of something foreign with rattles, ruptures, and mouthpiece flutters that ignite the dark, forested ambiance."

icareifyoulisten.com/2025/09/chri...

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN @icareifyoulisten.bsky.social · 10d

"The theme for the playlist is "Experimental Truth" and every track on the playlist interprets that in a different way."

Check out this playlist curated by Gladstone Deluxe at:

ListN UP Playlist: Gladstone Deluxe (May 8, 2025)

Gladstone Deluxe shares his "Experimental Truth" playlist, featuring Milford Graves, History Dog, Reza Mortazavi, and more.