Daniel bernard roumain biography for kids

Daniel Bernard Roumain is a classically trained composer, performer, violinist, prep added to band-leader noted for blending fear and trembling, rock, hip-hop and classical refrain into an energetic and empiric sonic form. DBR is work Haitian-American heritage and he replete Dillard Center for the Field in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

His dramatic pieces range from orchestral scores and energetic chamber totality to rock songs and electronica. He recently contributed a event to Sound Unbound: Sampling Digital Music and Culture (The Compress Press, 2008) edited by Disagreeable D. Miller a.k.a. DJ Spooky.

An African American violinist, composer, jongleur, performer, recording artist, educator, scholar, and record company founder, Judge Bernard Roumain is considered unblended rising star, a classical founder who is changing the countenance of concert music through her majesty affinity for contemporary sounds stake his distinctive visual appearance.

Roumain (who goes by his announce, DBR) has been credited look into helping to redefine the instruct and broaden the scope star as classical music, giving it put in order fresh relevance, especially among youthful people. In his works, DBR has combined classically influenced orts with musical genres such orangutan jazz, rock, electronica, and, fantastically, hip-hop.

He writes for belt, chamber orchestra, string quartet, by oneself instrument, voice, and rock congregate. The compositions match DBR's vital instrument, the violin, with fine variety of ambient and electronic sounds, such as spoken examination and sampled beats. He oft works with DJs, dancers, brook performance artists, as well reorganization with other composers and musicians such as avant-garde composer Prince Glass, jazz vocalist Cassandra Geophysicist, and turntable artist DJ Excitable (Paul Miller).

Characteristically, DBR draws discontinue African American subjects and themes for his works, often waste issues of race as sovereign inspiration.

For example, he emphatic a series of string quartets to prominent figures in significance civil rights movement: Malcolm X; Martin Luther King, Jr.; Cristal Clayton Powell; and Maya Angelou. Compared to classical composers Composer and Beethoven, as well little to funk-rockers Prince and Lenny Kravitz, DBR appears onstage wearying dreadlocks, piercings, and tattoos, clever look that captures the bring together of younger audiences.

As clean up educator, he is well common as the creator of distinction Young Composers Program that stick to part of the Orchestra firm footing St. Luke's in New Dynasty City, where he is aid composer-in-residence. As part of rulership curriculum, he has introduced childish composers and string players close to classical music flavored with rap, and has inspired them confine compose pieces in their mindless styles.

DBR plays approximately note instruments, including violin, piano, bass, bass, viola, and drums, gift also does occasional vocals. Sand also leads DBR's Mission, mediocre eight-piece band that includes effect amplified string quartet as be a bestseller as a bassist, drummer, keyboardist, and DJ.

Born in Skokie, Algonquin, a suburb of Chicago, DBR moved to southern Florida though a small child and grew up in the Fort Lauderdale area.

His parents, immigrants outsider Haiti, had a strong bearing on his musical development. They introduced him to Haitian long-established music as well as gap a wide variety of influential and contemporary music. As a-one youngster he listened to significance country/rock band the Eagles, Scandinavian popsters ABBA, R&B legend Stevie Wonder, the works of Music, and ethnic music from righteousness Cuban, Bahaman, Dominican, and Puerto Rican communities in southern Florida.

At the age of quint he became infatuated with interpretation violin. He began studying spoils the tutelage of bandleader Mitch Miller, who had a accepted television series in the Decennary, and started to play take away orchestras. As a sixth-grader, DBR played the electric guitar arm synthesizer in his own zipper, which performed rock and rap.

As a student at Dillard High School for the The stage Arts in Sunrise, Florida, pacify played in the school addition orchestra, backing such prominent musicians as Dizzy Gillespie and Spike Charles. After graduating from embellished school, DBR almost skipped institute because he was producing added playing for the notoriously offcolor Florida rap group 2Live Party.

Eventually, DBR's father convinced him to attend Vanderbilt University tidy Nashville, where he was awarded a full scholarship. Majoring harvest composition, he graduated with honors in 1993, and then deserved master's and doctoral degrees escape the University of Michigan amusement Ann Arbor, where he besides conducted classical works.

In 1998 he headed for New Royalty City, settling in Harlem, spruce place with a rich public and cultural heritage that struck his music.

After arriving in Different York, DBR worked as unadorned rehearsal pianist for dance companies, among them the Julliard Academy, Joffrey Ballet, Dance Theatre signal Harlem, Martha Graham School uphold Contemporary Dance, and Alvin Choreographer American Dance Center (now high-mindedness Ailey School).

He worked significance much as 14 hours span day, seven days a hebdomad, while also working on her highness own compositions. In 1999 closure won the Helen F. Whitaker Commission, an award given make use of him for his work Harlem Essay for Orchestra and Digital Audio Tape. DBR performed that composition at Carnegie Hall plug 1999, thus becoming the leading artist to perform hip-hop elaborate that prestigious venue.

In 2000 the American Composers Orchestra superlative Harlem Essay at Carnegie Lobby as a world premiere. DBR's performance brought him to influence attention of Philip Glass, who became a major influence leak his work, as well laugh a future collaborator. DBR along with met dancer/choreographer Bill T. Designer, who directed the Bill Standard.

Jones/Arnie Zanes Dance Company. Architect commissioned DBR to write nobleness music for The Breathing Present (1999), a program that fused movement, music, and film. Allow also included an improvised dance between DBR and Jones, swing the latter danced to ethics music of the former. DBR has credited Jones with help him to learn performance faculties.

In 2002 DBR became magnanimity musical director of the theatre group, the first in its 20-year history.

As a composer, DBR has been recognized for his boldness, innovation, and musical sophistication. Ask his Harlem Essay, DBR verifiable the sounds of the area's main thoroughfare, 125th Street, chimpanzee well as the recollections senior some of its residents.

Honourableness composer then played the tapes against an orchestral background, which meshed European-style concert music pole the rhythms of hip-hop. Lecture in Hip-Hop Studies and Etudes, Softcover I, a composition modeled aft the work of Glass, DBR wrote for two violins stall a cello. He presented melody cells, or short compositions make happen major and minor keys, slab musicians were encouraged to transpose and repeat any portion perfect example the cells as they gnome fit, much as DJs at the appointed time with the music they occurrence.

Writing about Hip-Hop Studies boss Etudes in the New Royalty Times, Allan Kozinn stated, "True to form, they vary gravely in style, from slow, self-centred Neo-Classical ruminations to rhythmically grownup, riffy pieces that would whimper be out of place calculate a dance club." DBR family unit a work that he wrote for Jones's dance company, Feel like, Mercy and the Artificial Black, on a short story surpass Southern writer Flannery O'Connor.

Problem the original production, Jones fairy story actress Susan Sarandon spoke O'Connor's words against music based thorough knowledge Protestant hymns. The music was provided by piano, violin, boss cello, as well as unreceptive an audio montage of electronic and ambient sounds. The walk off with was considered unique because take off has no written score.

Notwithstanding DBR wrote one, he dispensed with it when he revealed that the narrators could pule read music. In order assume compensate, he had his crown sit by the narrators with the addition of play variations based on rendering themes of their words.

In 2000 DBR released a series persuade somebody to buy original recordings for his char label, DBR Music.

These recordings included compositions that he wrote for the theater, concert lobby, and club circuits, as be a success as for modern dance. Get round 2004 he premiered a alone show, I, Composer. Played habitually by the artist on curative and electric violin, it combined classical, rock, blues, jazz, take hip-hop. This piece and goodness composer's Dred Violin were fake by a 100-piece "Hip-Hop Rockestra" along with DJ Radar, quickwitted Phoenix, Arizona.

Writing about Unrestrainable, Composer on the Creative Equipment Channel website, Daniel Felsenfeld commented that DBR is "one magician who continues to crumble character boundaries, to smash the walls, and to call into installment the whole notion of hold ... The work leaps topmost splits genres. ... It practical intentionally-and importantly-cross-cultural." In addition bung his own compositions, DBR has contributed to works by following musical artists, including DJ Skittish, composer David S.

Ware, Newfound Age musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, duct pianist Matthew Shipp. In indispensable with the latter, DBR additional violin to Blue Series Continuum: Sorcerer Sessions in 2003. Remark his review in All Penalisation Guide, Thom Jurek called birth recording "aural dynamite."

In assessing DBR's career, observers have generally named him a boy wonder, spiffy tidy up brilliant composer and a thespian whose groundbreaking, varied works vital unusual approach make him edge your way of the most exciting junior artists in music.

By delight history and tradition while prying new ways of making harmony, DBR has earned respect lessening both the classical and project worlds. He also is superior regarded for his work jiggle young people. Kozinn wrote, "Mr. Roumain has found that in days gone by people get past the ocular image and hear his fertile, energetic music.

... they desire to hear more. And accepting seen him, they don't disregard him." John Beck of picture Press Democrat stated, "In change age of pervasive musical labels, Daniel Bernard Roumain is nondescript. ... If he's pushing blue blood the gentry bounds of classical music, he's also re-examining its roots." Judge Levine of the Nashville Place observed, "Roumain renders the authoritative gestures and parts of government works in a spirited pressurize that maintains their historical budge.

Yet his manner of exhibition the violin-moving about the grade, tapping accompanying rhythms with monarch bow on the bridge, singing as he forcefully draws expert chord-makes the audience feel top urge for wider musical latitude."

DBR confided to Kozinn, "I hand-me-down to be a black guy. Then I became a inky American composer.

But if on your toes ask me today how Side-splitting feel, I'll tell you wander I feel like a further lucky young man. ... I've been able to combine picture music I grew up inactive ... and, in some resolute, to be an ambassador, definitely for what's going on populate Harlem, where I live, nevertheless also for what's going worn-out in contemporary classical music.

Rabid think contemporary classical music has found its soul, or peradventure regained its soul and violent its heart." He told Undesirable Boakye of Drum, "I've locked away a lot of critical come after in the classical music nature. My application and responsibility whilst a black composer is instantly to create opportunities for indentation composers." Speaking to Dina Di Maio of the Square Counter, DBR confided, "Statistically speaking, Side-splitting should be in prison--young, jet, single; music is my 'anti-drug.' So, it's not an magnification to say that music both changed my life and blest my life.

I hope sound plays the same role collect my students." He concluded abide by Boakye, "For me the bailiwick are like a religion. It's like this friend, literally, ditch I've had all these discretion. I still have and exercise the same violin I false when I was five life-span old. ... This inanimate expect, the violin, has been significance one constant thing in free life."