Shockley’s latest large-scale work is …in oceangreen of shadow, an approximately 38-minute work scored for shakuhachi and microtonally retuned harp soloists, ensemble, and electronics. The piece was written for shakuhachi virtuoso Kojiro Umezaki of the Silk Road Ensemble and harpist Jillian Risigari-Gai of LA’s wild Up, who gave the premiere backed by the CSULB New Music Ensemble in May 2014.
Other recent works include miniatures for toy piano (written for Mark Robson) and for double-bell trumpet (written for trumpeter Joe Drew); bristlecone and pitch for two pianos written for the Orpheus Duo; I feel open to… commissioned by the California E.A.R. Unit and 5 Studies for Glass and bridle, pomegranate and pears: On the viability and transience of a free and perfect union for bass Native American flute, piano, and electronics, commissioned by flutist John Barcellona.
Shockley enjoys collaborating with artists working in other media, and 5 studies for Glass and bridle was done in preparation for a collaborative work Shockley undertook in spring 2015 with visual artist Brice Brown. His first collaboration with Brown, Selling the sound of my voice, was installed at VertexList gallery in Brooklyn October-November 2007. You can still see a few more details at the gallery's blog: VertexList or at Brice's blog. In spring 2015 Brown and Shockley completed their second collaboration, this time a site-specific work commissioned by the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts for The Commission 2015. This new sonic and visual environment was installed on a farm hillside overlooking Free Union, Virginia in May 2015, and is entitled: Glass and bridle, pomegranate and pears: On the viability and transience of a free and perfect union. Other recent intermedial collaborations include Shockley's wind and shadow composed for Lola Martinez's photos and installed with them for the Exposition Romanika in the Église Saint-Jacques de Dival, in Dival, Champagne-Ardenne, France in spring 2014, and, Shockley's the incantation machine a collaborative work completed to be performed live with dancer-choreographer Stephanie Zaletel with the composer playing melodicas, amplified typewriter, and electronics.
Upcoming projects include an as yet untitled new work for mezzo, harp, and two percussionists commissioned by the VEDA quartet, book of the dark for violin, cello, piano, and live electronics for Trio Terroir, and at least three new works for virtuoso soloists with electronics as part of Shockley’s contraptions series of works; these will include--at the least--a new solo for shakuhachi player Kojiro Umezaki, another for pianist Vicki Ray, and one for arpeggione player Eric Pham.
Shockley's tape miniature program note by Henry Cowell [Beta] was selected in the Vox Novus 60x60 Competition in 2006, beginning a fruitful set of interactions with the 60x60 Project. This miniature was released on the 60x60 Project's double CD in spring 2008. Program note by Henry Cowell [Beta] was also later chosen for the 60x60 Project's Evolution Mix, and choreographed for a dance performance. The Evolution Mix was selected from out of all of the preceding six years of the project, and also includes works by pianist/composer/all-around great guy Guy Livingston, as well as by Rob Voisey, Annea Lockwood, Laurie Spiegel, Allen Strange, Joan La Barbara, Chris Mann, Maggi Payne, and Eric Lyon. In 2008, amid 1027 submissions, Shockley had a newer tape miniature chosen for the 2008 60x60 Project's "International Mix." In 2010 his contraption #2 was chosen as part of 360 Degrees of 60x60, and installed at the 2010 International Computer Music Conference in NYC and in Stony Brook, NY, and played all over the world, often linked with video created by Patrick Liddell. More recently, Shockley's Étude pour les pédales (contraption #4) was selected for the 2012 60x60 PianoForte Mix, and his die Tiefen des Rheins was selected for the 2012 60x60 Presenters Mix, and the 2012 60x60 International Mix, as well as being chosen for a special 60x60 Composers Concordance Mix hosted by the new music presenting organization Composers Concordance and presented on their concert series in NYC. A couple of years ago Shockley also participated in the 60x60 project from the other side--serving as the curator, or "meta-composer" for a new mix, and sifting through dozens of amazing entries, then selecting and shaping an hour-long composition from these for the 2012 60x60 Pacific Rim Mix.
Because of his interests in working closely with performers in the performance of new works by both himself and other composers, during his two years in Rhode Island and with generous support from the music department at Rhode Island College, Shockley formed a new music ensemble there, New York System, and not long after moving to California he became the director of the New Music Ensemble in the conservatory at California State University, Long Beach. With each of these ensembles, Shockley has spearheaded commissioning and premiering works, and has commissioned works and then conducted the world premieres of new the newly written pieces by composers Ted Coffey, Colby Leider, Christian Wolff, and, most recently, Pauline Oliveros, in November 2014 leading the world premiere of Oliveros' piece Sound Listening in Long Beach, California. (You may be able to see some details of the ensemble's repertoire and activities here: csulb new music ensemble.) In addition to these commissions, under his direction, the CSULB New Music Ensemble has given many other world and regional premieres, and champions the diversity of recent music—with a special focus on works of the past 30 years by American composers.
Other recent works include miniatures for toy piano (written for Mark Robson) and for double-bell trumpet (written for trumpeter Joe Drew); bristlecone and pitch for two pianos written for the Orpheus Duo; I feel open to… commissioned by the California E.A.R. Unit and 5 Studies for Glass and bridle, pomegranate and pears: On the viability and transience of a free and perfect union for bass Native American flute, piano, and electronics, commissioned by flutist John Barcellona.
Shockley enjoys collaborating with artists working in other media, and 5 studies for Glass and bridle was done in preparation for a collaborative work Shockley undertook in spring 2015 with visual artist Brice Brown. His first collaboration with Brown, Selling the sound of my voice, was installed at VertexList gallery in Brooklyn October-November 2007. You can still see a few more details at the gallery's blog: VertexList or at Brice's blog. In spring 2015 Brown and Shockley completed their second collaboration, this time a site-specific work commissioned by the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts for The Commission 2015. This new sonic and visual environment was installed on a farm hillside overlooking Free Union, Virginia in May 2015, and is entitled: Glass and bridle, pomegranate and pears: On the viability and transience of a free and perfect union. Other recent intermedial collaborations include Shockley's wind and shadow composed for Lola Martinez's photos and installed with them for the Exposition Romanika in the Église Saint-Jacques de Dival, in Dival, Champagne-Ardenne, France in spring 2014, and, Shockley's the incantation machine a collaborative work completed to be performed live with dancer-choreographer Stephanie Zaletel with the composer playing melodicas, amplified typewriter, and electronics.
Upcoming projects include an as yet untitled new work for mezzo, harp, and two percussionists commissioned by the VEDA quartet, book of the dark for violin, cello, piano, and live electronics for Trio Terroir, and at least three new works for virtuoso soloists with electronics as part of Shockley’s contraptions series of works; these will include--at the least--a new solo for shakuhachi player Kojiro Umezaki, another for pianist Vicki Ray, and one for arpeggione player Eric Pham.
Shockley's tape miniature program note by Henry Cowell [Beta] was selected in the Vox Novus 60x60 Competition in 2006, beginning a fruitful set of interactions with the 60x60 Project. This miniature was released on the 60x60 Project's double CD in spring 2008. Program note by Henry Cowell [Beta] was also later chosen for the 60x60 Project's Evolution Mix, and choreographed for a dance performance. The Evolution Mix was selected from out of all of the preceding six years of the project, and also includes works by pianist/composer/all-around great guy Guy Livingston, as well as by Rob Voisey, Annea Lockwood, Laurie Spiegel, Allen Strange, Joan La Barbara, Chris Mann, Maggi Payne, and Eric Lyon. In 2008, amid 1027 submissions, Shockley had a newer tape miniature chosen for the 2008 60x60 Project's "International Mix." In 2010 his contraption #2 was chosen as part of 360 Degrees of 60x60, and installed at the 2010 International Computer Music Conference in NYC and in Stony Brook, NY, and played all over the world, often linked with video created by Patrick Liddell. More recently, Shockley's Étude pour les pédales (contraption #4) was selected for the 2012 60x60 PianoForte Mix, and his die Tiefen des Rheins was selected for the 2012 60x60 Presenters Mix, and the 2012 60x60 International Mix, as well as being chosen for a special 60x60 Composers Concordance Mix hosted by the new music presenting organization Composers Concordance and presented on their concert series in NYC. A couple of years ago Shockley also participated in the 60x60 project from the other side--serving as the curator, or "meta-composer" for a new mix, and sifting through dozens of amazing entries, then selecting and shaping an hour-long composition from these for the 2012 60x60 Pacific Rim Mix.
Because of his interests in working closely with performers in the performance of new works by both himself and other composers, during his two years in Rhode Island and with generous support from the music department at Rhode Island College, Shockley formed a new music ensemble there, New York System, and not long after moving to California he became the director of the New Music Ensemble in the conservatory at California State University, Long Beach. With each of these ensembles, Shockley has spearheaded commissioning and premiering works, and has commissioned works and then conducted the world premieres of new the newly written pieces by composers Ted Coffey, Colby Leider, Christian Wolff, and, most recently, Pauline Oliveros, in November 2014 leading the world premiere of Oliveros' piece Sound Listening in Long Beach, California. (You may be able to see some details of the ensemble's repertoire and activities here: csulb new music ensemble.) In addition to these commissions, under his direction, the CSULB New Music Ensemble has given many other world and regional premieres, and champions the diversity of recent music—with a special focus on works of the past 30 years by American composers.
In his spare time, Shockley likes making things with his hands, which has led him to station a 300-pound anvil, a post vise, and a farmer forge on his back patio, and to working with--in addition to steel--precious metals, stones, leather, wood and other materials in the construction of various objects, including the occasional musical instrument.
