K. McCullough: a Musical Autobiography
Finding Our Way: An Oral History Archive of Afro-Diasporic G... by Damian L. Goggans
Episode notes
- Kareem McCullough reflects on his compositional process, beginning with improvisation, experimentation, and musical discovery.
- He discusses how pieces such as “Finding My Way,” “Aftermath,” and “Internal Shadows” came into existence.
- Kareem explores the relationship between improvisation and music theory, and how theory helps him develop ideas rather than dictate them.
- He discusses his fascination with modal mixture, harmonic ambiguity, major 7th and 9th chords, and internal dissonance.
- He reflects on how the guitar itself shapes his compositional language, particularly through its ability to blend and “warm” dissonant sonorities.
- Kareem describes composition as an archaeological process of discovery, ...
Keywords
Kareem McCulloughAfroClassical GuitarGuitar Foundation of AmericaLectureImprovisation Race & Identity