Beth Anderson (composer) facts for kids
Beth Anderson is an American composer known for her unique musical style. She is sometimes called a "neo-romantic" composer. She learned from famous musicians like John Cage, Terry Riley, Robert Ashley, and Larry Austin. Beth studied music at several universities, including the University of Kentucky, UC Davis, New York University, and Mills College.
Beth Anderson is especially known for creating a new type of music called "swales." She made these pieces by combining and layering new music, almost like a collage. She once explained that she chose the name "swale" because it means "a meadow or marsh where a lot of wild things go together." This perfectly describes how her music blends different sounds.
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Biography
Early life and musical start
Beth Anderson was born in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1950. She grew up in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky. Her parents, Marjorie and Sidney Anderson, really encouraged her to play music.
She started playing the piano when she was a child. Soon after, she began writing her own music. When she was 14, she started taking piano lessons from a composer named Helen Libscomb. Ms. Liscomb taught Beth important rules about how music is put together. This helped Beth write simple, traditional songs. In her last two years of high school, she began to write more modern music, learning from books.
Education and college years
After high school, Beth Anderson went to the University of Kentucky. After two years, she moved to the University of California at Davis. There, she earned her first college degree. She then got a Master's degree in Piano Performance.
While finishing her Master's, one of her pieces, Peachy Keen-O, was played at Mills College. Bob Ashley, who was in charge of the Center for Contemporary Music at Mills College, heard her music. He was so impressed that he asked her to stay and study there. Beth then earned another Master's degree, this time in Composition, from Mills College.
Later life and recognition
In California, Beth Anderson became known as one of the important modern composers. She was part of a group of artists who explored new ideas in music and art.
On July 28, 1995, Beth married Elliotte Rusty Harold, who writes computer books. They met at a dinner party in New York. A newspaper story about her wedding in 1995 described her as someone who often giggles. It also mentioned that she listens to the band Megadeth when she cleans her apartment.
Discography
- Feminae in Musica (Feminae Records, 2007)
- Tale One
- Tale Three
- Belgian Tango
- Performed by: Aleksandra Maslovaric (violin), Tania Fleischer (piano)
- Namely (Other Minds Records, 2020)
Listening
- NewMusicJukeBox.org: Beth Anderson
See also
In Spanish: Beth Anderson para niños
