Jason Charney performs "Compass" at an Apple Store in Chicago, Illinois.

KU music student wins national acclaim

Jason Charney, a music composition student at the University of Kansas, recently won the Allen Strange Award from the Society of Electro-acoustic Music in the United States  for his avant-garde work, “Compass.”

from nick curry
originally aired on ad astra radio thursday february 16, 2012.

Jason Charney speaks with Nick Curry about “Compass”:

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Charney performs “Compass” live at KJHK:

[jwplayer mediaid=”9310″]

Jason Charney performs "Compass" at an Apple Store in Chicago, Illinois.

When you think of classical music, you probably think of bombastic pianists, elegant string quartets, or dramatic symphonies. But Jason Charney’s award-winning composition, “Compass,” isn’t for any of those ensembles. In fact, the performer isn’t playing a familiar musical instrument at all — the electronic work is controlled entirely by the gyroscopes, sensors, and touch screen of Charney’s iPhone.

Charney won the Allen Strange Award from the Society of Electro-acoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS) for “Compass,” and dropped by KJHK to talk about his work and perform the piece in the KJHK studios.

Listen above for the interview, as well as a recording of the work.