Jeremiah Cymerman (pronounced SIMMER-MAN) is a composer and clarinetist based in Brooklyn, New York. Described by Time Out New York as “one of downtown’s most inventive and resourceful composer-performers” Cymerman comes to Roulette April 10th for the premiere of a newly commissioned work, Under a Blue, Grey Sky. We got in touch with Jeremiah to ask him a few questions about his work…
Roulette: Do you consider yourself more a composer or a performer?
Jeremiah: I would have to say composer/conceptualist. On the list of great clarinetists I would probably rank as #1,238. Maybe on a good week where I’ve been practicing a lot, #1,092. It’s not something that I think about very much. Ultimately it’s about creating music that strikes a chord within me. I plan to continue a life of music with or without the clarinet. I love and cherish my relationship with the clarinet as well improvising with other musicians but the instrument acts mostly as one means to an end, as one of many tools of expression.
R: What genre of music (pre-defined or newly defined) would you fit your work into?
JC: To quote one of the great linguists of the 20th century, Paul Barman: “Superficial distinctions make me go batty”. You could drive yourself straight to the madhouse thinking in terms of genre, BUT… if I were to attempt to answer I would have to say downtown. The thing that drew me to New York in the first place was the downtown scene. The idea that somewhere in the world there was a community of artists who support and help to sustain each other in the creation of new work really spoke to me. It still does. So in that sense, I think more in terms of tradition than genre. The tradition of the downtown composer/performer is one that I hope to carry on.
R: What is it that you want people to hear/think about/be tuned into in your work?
JC: I don’t know that I can make an over-arching statement describing what my music is “about”. Perhaps the most poetic aspect of music, particularly improvised music, is that it is ephemeral. It happens and then it disappears. You put it out into the world and maybe it dies or maybe it takes on its own life. If a piece of music helps someone from having a nervous break-down or if someone uses a piece of music to help themselves fall asleep I am not going to question it. Maybe people use music to entertain their dinner guests or to use as a badge of identity. It’s none of my business. For my own music I hope that people have more of an emotional experience with it than anything else. As artists it is our job to create something beautiful in an attempt to make sense out of a world that can be cruel, ugly, bitter and lonely. It is my hope that someone would come to one of my concerts and leave feeling touched, as if they’ve taken part in an event that in some way transcended the mundane world. I would much prefer that people have an emotional experience than leave saying “man, that guy has some chops!”
R: What do you, as a composer/performer of music, listen for in other people’s work- what moves you? What tickles your brain?
JC: I can’t say that I listen for specific things as much as I try to keep myself open to hearing things that are new to me. I love feeling awe-struck and dumb-founded when I listen to music, to have NO idea what’s going! At times I have certainly sought out music; Nate Wooley told me about William Basinski, that there was this guy doing this incredible thing with tape music and that I had to check it out. So I bought everything of his that I could get my hands on in one shot and was completely blown away by it. This was totally new music to me and is now influencing me on some level. That’s where, I think, the artist has a chance to really become part of the world, to live in perpetuity. It’s like you plant a seed and it takes root in many people’s gardens. It’s a wonderful thing and it’s also where we have to recognize that we are incredibly indebted to one another. There is a symbiotic relationship that exists between artists and between artists and listeners.
R: Tell us as about the work you’ll be doing at Roulette.
JC: I will be doing two sets at Roulette. The first is a premiere of a piece entitled “Under a Blue Grey Sky” which was commissioned by Roulette. Scored for string trio + contrabass & electronics the piece deals with striking a balance between the role of conductor and of mix engineer. I’ve never been able to conceive of music without also conceiving of the sonic space in which it exists and to me the sound of a piece tells just as much of a story as the composition itself. This piece is much more lyrical and somber than my previous work and really aims to create a unique sound environment. Themes of hope and darkness/despair are present and recurring throughout the piece.
The second set will feature three graphic scores, two from 2007 and the premiere of a new piece entitled “Burned Across the Sky”. These pieces deal with the unique musical languages of the performers involved. “Burned Across the Sky” was written in memory of Christopher Bird and is a highly personal piece that will most likely not be performed ever again after it’s Roulette premiere.
R: What was the last music you listened to?
JC: Currently being blown away by:
Esoteric- “The Maniacal Vale”
William Basinski- “The Disintegration Loops”
Evan Parker- Conic Sections
AsvA- What You Don’t Know is Frontier
Nate Wooley, Fred Lomberg-Holm, & Jason Roebke- “Throw Down Your Hammer and Sing”
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