Elaine Barkin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elaine Barkin
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Barkin in 2005
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| Born |
Elaine Radoff
December 15, 1932 |
| Died | February 22, 2023 (aged 90) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Bronx High School of Science Third Street Music School Settlement Queens College |
| Occupation | Composer, writer, and educator |
| Employer | Queens College University of Michigan Princeton University University of California, Los Angeles Sarah Lawrence College National Chiao Tung University Victoria University of Wellington Institute for Shipboard Education's Semester at Sea |
| Spouse(s) | George J. Barkin |
| Relatives | Victor, Jesse, and Gabriel (sons) |
Elaine "Ray" Barkin (born Radoff) was an American composer, writer, and teacher. She lived from December 15, 1932, to February 22, 2023. She was known for creating many different kinds of music and for teaching at several famous universities.
Contents
Who Was Elaine Barkin?
Elaine Barkin was a talented woman who loved music. She spent her life creating new sounds and helping others learn about music. She was not only a composer (someone who writes music) but also a writer and an educator (teacher).
Her Early Life and Education
Elaine Radoff was born in The Bronx, a part of New York City. She grew up in a place called the Amalgamated Houses. She went to the Bronx High School of Science, which is a special school for students interested in science and math.
Elaine also studied music at the Third Street Music School Settlement. Later, she attended Queens College, where she earned her first degree in 1954. There, she learned about composing and music theory from several great teachers.
She continued her studies at Brandeis University. She earned two more degrees there, focusing on composition and theory. In the summer of 1955, she even worked with a famous composer named Boris Blacher. She also received a Fulbright fellowship, which allowed her to study music in Berlin, Germany, in 1956 and 1957. This was a big achievement!
In 1963, Elaine was asked to join Perspectives of New Music. This was an important journal for composers. She worked as an editor there for many years, helping to shape how new music was discussed.
A Career in Music and Teaching
Elaine Barkin loved to teach. She taught many subjects, including music appreciation (learning to enjoy music), music theory (the rules of music), and composition (how to write music). She taught at several well-known universities. These included Queens College, the University of Michigan, and Princeton University.
From 1974 to 1997, she taught at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She also taught as a guest at other places, like Sarah Lawrence College. She even taught in faraway places like Taiwan and New Zealand. She also taught on a program called Semester at Sea, where students learn while traveling the world on a ship.
Elaine Barkin created many different types of music. She wrote pieces for:
- Solo instruments (like a single piano or violin).
- Small groups of instruments (called chamber ensembles).
- Large orchestras.
- Music using tape recordings (called 4-track tape collages).
- Singers and choirs.
- Music for Balinese and Javanese gamelan (special musical groups from Indonesia).
- Music for dancers and multi-media shows.
- Even a small opera!
In the 1980s, Elaine became very interested in working with others to create music. She joined UCLA's Gamelan groups. She traveled to Bali and Java five times to study new Gamelan music. She also helped start a music publication series called Open Space in 1989.
Elaine also wrote many books and articles about music. Her writings appeared in important music journals like Perspectives of New Music.
Personal Life
In 1957, Elaine Barkin married George J. Barkin. He was a writer, editor, and computer programmer. They had three sons named Victor, Jesse, and Gabriel.
Her Musical Creations
Elaine Barkin composed a wide variety of musical pieces throughout her career. She wrote for many different instruments and groups. Some of her early works included pieces for piano and orchestra. She also created music for string quartets and other small ensembles.
As she explored new ideas, she started making music using tape recordings. These were called "tape collages." She also wrote music for specific dancers and theater performances. Her interest in gamelan music led her to compose pieces for these unique Indonesian ensembles.
Many of her compositions were created for specific musicians or groups. For example, she wrote "At the piano" for the pianist Gloria Cheng. She also created pieces that encouraged musicians to improvise, meaning they would make up parts of the music as they played.
Elaine's music was recorded on several albums. These recordings helped share her unique sounds with more people. She also produced videos about music, especially focusing on new music from Bali. Besides composing, she wrote many articles and books about music. These writings explored different ideas about music, gender, and identity. Her work appeared in many important music journals.
