by Mike Telin
“Creativity is the expression of life, so for me the question is why on earth would you not be creative? Why on earth would you not want to grow?” flutist, composer, improviser, author, teacher, and inventor Robert Dick said during a recent telephone interview. A leader in contemporary flute music, he has redefined the instrument’s musical possibilities.
On Sunday, November 7 at 7:00 pm at the Praxis Fiber Workshop, the Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project will present Robert Dick in an evening of solo works as well as group improvisations with Dana Jessen, bassoon, Bob Drake, hardware electronics, and Stephan Haluska, harp. Tickets are available at the door or online.
“I’m looking forward to returning to Cleveland,” the 71-year-old said. “I’ve had lots of good experiences there.”
When asked about his — well — improvised program, Dick said that it will be somewhat stream-of-consciousness. “The flute is an unusual instrument in improvised music, so people tend to focus on the instrument and not the music. But all instruments have exactly the same sound, silence — it’s the human that plays them.”
As musicians’ tastes change over time, it can be frustrating for them to realize that the instrument they’ve spent years mastering now confines their stylistic breadth. Or does it? In some cases, all that’s needed is a new mindset.
The response to the pandemic from 
“This next one will have all the homosexuals in the room grabbing a vodka cranberry,” composer Buck McDaniel said winkingly to a packed crowd at Mahall’s last Friday night, March 29. “Including me,” he added. It was perfect commentary for the energetic kickoff event of the Cleveland Chamber Symphony’s 6th NEOSonicFest, an evening that celebrated both cocktails and contemporary music.
Cleveland Chamber Symphony launches its sixth NEOSonicFest on Friday, March 29 at 9:00 pm at Mahall’s in Lakewood with a concert in partnership with Fresh Perspectives. Uno Lady (Christa Ebert), a one-woman choir, will create electronic loops, harpist Stephan Haluska will present his own electro-acoustical compositions, and Buck McDaniel and Jacob Kirkwood will present a concert version of their live electro-acoustic score written for Cleveland Public Theatre’s 
When a festival runs for long enough, it becomes interesting to look back and remember that it wasn’t always a staple of the local culture. At one time, it was entirely new.
The Magalen in Slavic Village was full of the musically adventurous for the strangely fantastic second installment of the Re:Sound New Music Festival on Friday, June 8. 
A year and a half ago, saxophonist Noa Even and cellist Sophie Benn got together to discuss ways to promote new music in Cleveland. They soon brought drummer Stephen Klunk and Bop Stop manager Gabe Pollack into the conversation, and the idea of starting a new music festival in the city was born. Beginning on June 7 and running through June 10, the inaugural 