Combating Writer’s Block, Composing for Big Bands, and Extended Techniques

We sit down with composer and saxophonist Anna Webber to explore her disciplined compositional process and look ahead to her upcoming nonet album, It's Easier to Imagine the End of the World. Anna explains how she maintains a daily composition practice by avoiding time crunches, relying on pencil and paper, and utilizing "rogue cop police walls" to combat writer's block. We dive into her strategies for writing difficult "etudes" designed to challenge heavy-hitting musicians, and the financial realities of co-leading a big band with Angela Morris. We also reflect on her time studying in Berlin with John Hollenbeck and how she integrates extended techniques and microtonality into her work. Finally, she previews her upcoming nonet release, inspired by the writings of Noam Chomsky, Angela Davis, and Naomi Klein as a hopeful response to late-stage capitalism. Note: Birch Grove Media does not own the recordings featured in this episode.

Timestamps:

01:47 - Developing a daily, disciplined compositional process

05:14 - The benefits of writing slowly without time crunches

07:05 - Composing with pencil and paper vs. the computer

10:07 - Strategies for breaking out of writer's block

14:42 - Studying in Berlin with John Hollenbeck

17:39 - The financial realities of co-leading a big band with Angela Morris

23:21 - Finding inspiration in extended techniques and microtonality

28:52 - Navigating misogyny and the "boys club" mentality in jazz education

36:08 - Previewing her upcoming nonet release, It's Easier to Imagine the End of the World

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