Dorothy Hindman facts for kids
Dorothy Hindman (born March 13, 1966) is an American composer and music teacher. She writes many different kinds of music, from orchestral pieces to solo works.
Early Life and Music Studies
Dorothy Hindman was born in Miami, Florida, on March 13, 1966. Her mom was a talented classical pianist and scientist. Her dad worked at WTMI, Miami's classical radio station. This meant Dorothy grew up hearing a lot of classical music.
She started formal music lessons a bit later, at age 16. She went to Miami-Dade College to study piano. She was also interested in electronic music. At 19, she began studying music composition at the University of Miami. She learned from composer Dennis Kam and graduated with honors in 1988.
She continued her studies at Duke University, getting her Master of Arts in composition in 1989. Later, she went back to the University of Miami to study more with Dennis Kam. They both loved thinking about how music means things and how people understand it. In 1994, she also studied with composer Louis Andriessen. This helped her learn about the structures of music by famous composers like Bach and Stravinsky. It also showed her how to use ideas from everyday life and popular culture in her music.
Her Music Career
Dorothy Hindman has worked with many famous music groups and performers. These include the Empire City Men's Chorus, the Caraval Quartet, and the Gregg Smith Singers. She has also written music for amazing solo artists like bassist Robert Black and cellist Craig Hultgren.
Her music has been played by professional orchestras around the world. These include the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and the Kyiv Philharmonic. Youth orchestras like the Greater Miami Youth Symphony have also performed her works.
Dorothy has also worked with visual artists. She created music for a video by artist Carrie Mae Weems. She also made music for an art exhibit called "The Wall Calls to Me." This exhibit was shown in major museums.
Her music has been heard in many famous places. These include Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City and the United Nations. Her music has also been played in countries like France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Cuba, Australia, and England. She has had performances all over the United States too.
Awards and Special Invitations
Dorothy Hindman has received many awards for her music. Some of these include:
- A grant from the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs in 2015.
- Winning "Audience Favorite" and Second Prize at Analog Arts' Iron Composer in 2015.
- Awards for her creativity and originality for her piece Tapping the Furnace.
- The Nancy Van de Vate International Composition Prize for Opera.
- Winning the International Society of Bassists Solo Composition Competition.
She has also been invited to be a guest composer at many places. These include the American Academy in Rome and the Visby International Centre for Composers in Sweden. She has also taught special classes at many universities, helping young musicians.
Other Music Activities
Besides composing, Dorothy Hindman has helped promote new music. For ten years, she helped start the Birmingham Art Music Alliance. She also hosted a radio show called "The Po-Mo Show" from 2012 to 2014. This show played classical music written since 1980. She also wrote reviews about classical and new music for newspapers like the Miami Herald.
She was an Assistant Editor for the LIVING MUSIC journal. Her writings have appeared in other music magazines too. She even wrote an article about "Composition, profession" for an encyclopedia about women in music.
Dorothy Hindman returned to Miami, Florida, in 2010. She is now a professor of composition at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. Before that, she was a professor at Birmingham-Southern College. Her music is published by different companies. She is married to composer Charles Norman Mason.
About Her Music
How Her Music is Organized
Dorothy Hindman's music is very special and has many layers. It is carefully put together. She often uses a few ideas and develops them a lot. For example, in her piece "drowningXnumbers" for cello, she takes one idea and builds a complex structure from it.
She likes to use balanced sounds and harmonies. She also uses the different sounds of instruments as a key part of her music. In her newer works, she sometimes uses "spectral techniques," which means she uses the natural sounds of instruments to create new sounds. Her music often has strong, driving rhythms that make an immediate impact.
Music Inspired by Her Life
Many of Dorothy's pieces are like a musical diary. They respond to things happening in her life. For example, the rhythms in her music might match important numbers, like phone numbers. The harmonies might be based on names, dates, or places. Her music can show many different feelings within one piece.
How Listeners Experience Her Music
Dorothy Hindman's music often makes you think. She sometimes presents ideas that are not fully complete. She wants the listener to finish these ideas in their own mind. It's like a conversation where the music gives you clues, and you get to figure out the rest. This makes listening to her music an active and rewarding experience.
List of Works
Orchestral Music
- Beijing for youth orchestra, 1989
- Magic City for orchestra, 1999
- With Sighs too Deep for Words ..., Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, 2000
- Setting Century for orchestra, 2003
- Strata for orchestra, 2004
- Urban Myths for youth orchestra in three parts: The Babysitter, Roswell, and The Hook, 2009
Large Chamber Ensemble Music
- Fury's Chalice for wind octet, 1992
- Chemistry for chamber orchestra, 1993
- Nine Churches for guitar quartet and chamber orchestra, 2006–07
- Cascade for saxophone ensemble, 2012
- Mechanisms for flute ensemble, 2012
- Fission for wind band, 2013
Small Chamber Ensemble Music
- From Censer Smoke ... for soprano, flute, violin, guitar and marimba, 1994
- Setting Century for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano, 1999
- Jerusalem Windows for Violin, Cello and Piano, 2002
- Drift for saxophone quartet 2003
- Taut for guitar quartet, 2003
- Lost in Translation for soprano saxophone and piano, 2005
- Monumenti for Violin and Cello, 2005
- centro for Violin and Piano, 2005
- three small gestures for Violin and Guitar, 2006 (for Duo46)
- The Pillow Book, song cycle for mezzo-soprano, saxophone, violin, cello and piano, 2009
- The Road to Damascus for string quartet, 2010
- Big Fun for baritone saxophone and piano, 2012
- Heroic Measures for clarinet, violin and piano, 2014
- R.I.P.T for saxophone and percussion, 2014
- Entwined for B-flat clarinet and alto saxophone, 2015
Instrumental Solo Music
- Soliloquy for Clarinet, 1991
- Forward Looking Back, Piano Suite, 1991–92
- Beyond the Cloud of Unknowing for marimba, 1992
- "drowningXnumbers" for amplified cello, 1994–95
- Echo for French horn, 1996
- Trembling for flute, 1998
- Time Management for double bass, 2004
- Needlepoint for classical guitar, 2004
- The Steinway Preludes for piano, 2004
- Swell for organ, 2005
- Tapping the Furnace for speaking percussionist, 2006
- Echoi for French horn, 2011
- I Feel Fine for classical guitar, 2013
- Rough Ride for speaking cellist, 2016
Choral Music
- I Have Heard ... for SATB choir, 1993, 1996
- Echo for Horn, 1996
- Resurrection an Easter choral anthem 1998
- Incarnation, a Christmas choral anthem, 1998
- Of the Father's Love Begotten anthem for SATB choir and organ, 2000
- Psalm 121 for a capella SATB choir, 2000
- Sursum Corda for a capella SATB choir, 2008
- Prothalamia for men's chorus and organ, 2010
- You Shall Not Go Down for a cappella men's chorus, 2010
Vocal Music
- Three Songs of Reminiscence for tenor and piano, 1997
- Is this then a touch? for baritone and piano, 2006
Operas
- Pandora's Box, youth opera for children's choir and piano, 1999
- Louise: the Story of a Magdalen, opera, 2002
Fixed Media Music (with or without instruments)
- fin de cycle for piano and tape, 1996
- Tonal Music for mobile phones in 2004
- Italian Dreams, soundfile for video of the same name by Carrie Mae Weems, 2006
- Bathtime for soundfile (stereo), 2007
- Seconds for soundfile (5.0 surround, stereo versions), 2005.
- Multiverses for marimba solo with Max/MSP or marimba quartet, 2009
- Fantasia for Karen Alone for violin and soundfile, 2010
- The Wall Calls to Me for soundfile (mp3) and 8 channels, for visual art installation by Sally Wood Johnson, 2010
- Sound/Water for cello and soundfile, 2011
- 1000 Swimmers in the Canals for 2 electric guitars, keyboard, and live processing, 2013
Discography
- Tapping the Furnace: innova Recordings 848, © 2013. This album includes: Drift for saxophone quartet; "drowningXnumbers" for amplified cello; fin de cycle for piano and digital media; Tapping the Furnace for speaking percussion solo; Needlepoint for guitar solo; Magic City for orchestra.
- 60X60 (2006-2007): Vox Novus VN 002, © 2008, featuring bathtime for soundfile.
- Musings: Society of Composers, Inc. Series, no. 22: Capstone Records CPS-8787, 2007, featuring Needlepoint, recorded by Paul Bowman, guitar.
- A Slice of the Scene: 60X60 2005: Vox Novus VN 001, © 2007, featuring Seconds for soundfile.
- Masterworks of the New Era: ERMMedia, Vol. 7, © 2005, featuring Magic City, recorded by the Kiev Philharmonic, Robert Ian Winstin conducting.
- Semantemes: Living Artist Recordings, Vol. 10, © 2002, featuring Trembling, recorded by Donald Ashworth, Jr.
- From Shook Foil: Living Artist Recordings, Vol. 6, © 2000, featuring I Have Heard…, recorded by the Gregg Smith Singers.
- Winds and Voices: Living Artist Recordings, Vol. 5, © 2000, featuring Three Songs of Reminiscence.
- Places Not Remote: Music from the Setting Century, Living Artist Recordings, Vol. 3, © 1998, featuring fin de cycle.
- In Yet Longer Light's Delay: Music from the Setting Century, Living Music Recordings, Vol. I, © 1996, featuring "drowningXnumbers".
- University of Miami/Society of Composers, Inc: NEW MUSIC/YOUNG COMPOSERS, © 1994, featuring Beyond the Cloud of Unknowing.
