On Oct. 13 at 4:30 p.m., Benjamin Muir’s Senior Recital Orchestra will perform at Warner Concert Hall. It will be the first large-scale orchestra of its kind to perform at a senior recital in the last five years. The orchestra welcomes non-Conservatory performers from the community and the College.
A fourth-year double-degree student majoring in Composition at the Conservatory and English at the College, Muir composes pieces that are reflective and celebrate community.
“The composer is supposed to be this figure who’s behind a veil or a screen who gives you the notes and the notes are this representation of perfection,” Muir said. “You can’t change it. This comes from this whole school of thought where composers are like deities. … That’s never how I’ve really thought about it. The kind of composer I want to be is someone who is more collaborative, more open.”
The orchestral piece is as much a social experiment as a musical one. Muir emphasized that there are no official auditions — whoever applies will automatically be considered a participant. They are optimistic about placing this trust in performers, thereby building an environment conducive to authentic musical expression.
“I’ve always been comfortable with showing people my work in progress,” Muir said. “That’s also probably related to my sense of community in composition. I love sending unfinished work to people and saying, ‘What do you think about this? Do you have input?’”
Muir’s mentor for the last three years, Assistant Professor of Composition Michael Frazier, is enthusiastic about the distinct performance and its positive contribution to the musical community at Oberlin.
“I definitely encourage people to attend,” Frazier said. “Not only is it this unique and unusual circumstance of having an orchestra again, but also the circumstances are inviting.”
The three pieces in the recital, “West Coast Style,” “Symphony I,” and “Turbulence,” connect points in Muir’s personal and musical journey. “West Coast Style” incorporates a five-minute orchestration exercise they wrote in high school as part of the Tanglewood Young Composers’ Program. Muir considers it the heart of “West Coast Style,” a nugget from the past embedded within a larger piece that reflects their artistic growth.
“Symphony I” also draws from the past. Composed after Muir’s travels to Vienna in their second year with the intent to try something new, it features a rhythmic style that is fresh and exciting.
The three conductors for the recital are Conservatory third-year Matthew Brown, Conservatory third-year Matilda Goldie, and double-degree fourth-year Jamie Phillips-Freedman. Brown, who will be conducting “Turbulence,” is excited for its challenges.
“[Muir] plays a lot of games with time to constantly keep the listener on their toes,” Brown said. “Different parts will be bringing out different beats all at the same time. It’s my job to help there be a single pulse for the orchestra to lock into.”
Muir credits a lot of their current sensibilities to their professors. An English class taught by Professor of English Jennifer Bryan on Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales inspired their recent string octet “The Maker Takes His Leave.” Muir also acknowledges the importance of an artistic mentor’s role, expressing gratitude to Dr. Frazier, who has guided Muir in finding their voice and pursuing accessible music.
“A lot of composers in the senior recital want perfect recordings of their pieces to send to colleges with their application” they said. “I’m not looking to apply to grad school right away. That’s one reason why I’ve been able to open it up to everyone and say ‘Even if you’re not the most incredible virtuoso, you still have a place here.’”
