Episode 34: Interview with Tom Flaherty

In this interview, composer Tom Flaherty discusses his creative process and his experiences with both acoustic music and electronic music. He explains that every composition begins differently depending on the rhythm, chord or the sound. When he

composes electronic music, he begins by creating unusual sounds that traditional instruments are not able to produce. These sounds suggest the musical direction of the piece. Although he had written his pieces extensively for electronics, most of his / work involves live performers. Flaherty also reflects on his career of teaching music at Pomona College for more than thirty

years. During those times, he organized an electronic acoustic festival combining electronics with life performance. He discusses

a recent project for cello, piano, MIDI keyboard, and electronics, as well as his developing interest in returning to music for

traditional instruments and voices. In the future, he hopes to accomplish composing a large-scale vocal work for singers,

instrumentalists, and electronics. Throughout his interview, Flaherty emphasizes that he creates music he personally finds expressive and enjoyable rather than trying to appeal to a particular audience. He identifies finding performance opportunities

and earning a living as two of the greatest challenges for contemporary composers. He claims that his teaching career allowed

him to gain the freedom to compose the music he desired, unlike commercial fields such as film music, where composers often

have to follow the composer's directions. Flaherty also shares his thoughts on artificial intelligence. Streaming has made a larger

range of music available; however it can divide long compositions into several tracks even providing incorrect information about

composers and performers. He believes AI can be useful for producing functional music quickly, however worries it may reduce

opportunities for individuals to learn instruments, perform together and enjoy the joy of creating music themselves. Finally,

Flaherty offers advice to listeners who find contemporary music difficult to understand. Instead of always searching for familiar

melodies, harmonies or tonal structures, he encourages listeners to focus on timbre, texture, rhythm, special effects, and the ways music colors change over time. Comparing contemporary music to abstract painting, he suggests setting aside predetermined

expectations and listening carefully to what is actually present. His message is that approaching unfamiliar music with openness

and curiosity can reveal entirely new ways of expressing sounds.