Ursula Kwong-Brown - Part 1

For Good Measure

For Good Measure, by Ensemble for These Times (E4TT)
Episode 122: Ursula Kwong-Brown - Part 1
Looking for a way to listen to diverse creators and to support equity in the arts? Tune in weekly to For Good Measure!
In this week’s episode, we talk to Ursula Kwong-Brown about her path to becoming a composer and how doing research in neuroscience as well as being a sound designer and arts technologist have added to her compositional life. If you enjoyed today’s conversation and want to know more about Ursula Kwong-Brown, check her out here: https://www.ursulakwongbrown.com/. This episode was originally recorded in February 2024.

This podcast is made possible in part by a grant from the California Arts Council and generous donors, like you. Want to support For Good Measure and E4TT? Make a tax-deductible donation or sign up for our newsletter, and subscribe to the podcast!
Intro music: “Trifolium” by Gabriela Ortiz, performed by E4TT (Ilana Blumberg, violin; Abigail Monroe, cello; Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Below the Surface: Music by Women Composers,” January 29, 2022
Outro music: “Lake Turkana” by Marcus Norris, performed by E4TT (Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Alchemy,” October 15, 2021
Transcription courtesy of Otter.ai.
Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1903729/15652872
Producer, Host, and E4TT co-founder: Nanette McGuinness
Co-producer and Audio Engineer: Stephanie M. Neumann
Podcast Cover Art: Brennan Stokes
Interns: Renata Volchinskaya, Sam Mason, Hannah Chen, Addy Geenen, Yoyo Hung-Yu Lin

Curious to hear a little music from our guest Ursula Kwong-Brown, who we spoke to in our most recent episode, check out the world premiere of the work she just wrote for us, which we are performing on our season opening concert November 8.

Support the show

Visit E4TT.org and find us on social media!
Instagram: @e4tt
Twitter: @e4ttimes
Facebook: @EnsembleforTheseTimes
Listen/subscribe on Soundcloud, Spotify, and YouTube.

Capítulos

1. Ursula Kwong-Brown - Part 1 (00:00:00)

2. In this week's episode, we're joined by Ursula Kwong-Brown, who we spoke to in February 2024. (00:00:35)

3. So, you're a pianist and a composer. You've got an undergraduate degree from Columbia, and a Doctorate from UC Berkeley. Can you talk about your path to becoming a composer? (00:00:52)

4. And I remember your... what's your degree at Columbia, though? It was an interesting... (00:01:45)

5. Was that what made the penny drop as it were, that you saw what the salaries were? What led you to realize that this was an actual career? (00:02:23)

6. And, a musician would have been the one to notice, as you say. Have they figured out why? Why the different intervals and why they're triggered to the different genetic lines? (00:04:31)

7. You're also a sound designer and an arts technologist. And this is a really terrific combination with being a composer. Can... (00:05:44)