Music
I have thought it, heard it, made it, as long as I can remember.
I play many instruments and styles but I am essentially a jazz bassist. My first degree was from New England Conservatory, where I studied jazz, with deep dives into folk and classical traditions around the world.
My inner life changed upon encountering the person and music of Arvo Pärt. Twenty years after my first meeting with the composer, my colleague Nicholas Reeves and I co-founded the Arvo Pärt Project, which resulted in:
Concerts at Carnegie Hall, the Temple of Dendur, the John F. Kennedy Center, and other venues worldwide,
Lecture and panel events at museums, concert halls, and universities worldwide,
Collaborations with high-profile artists and thinkers, and
The books and numerous articles I’ve published about Pärt.
I am currently an artistic advisor at the Arvo Pärt Centre, located in Laulasmaa, Estonia, where I have enjoyed two stints as scholar in residence.
Below is a talk I gave in November, 2019 on Pärt’s music at the Centre.
