Longleaf: Nature, History, and Music
Longleaf is a new multimedia work I composed in collaboration with the Houston-based ensemble Loop38. The piece tells the story of the...
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Ben Morris
Jan 20
Opera and Collaboration: Working with Librettist Laura Fuentes
An important focus of my creative work in recent years has been composing opera. People always ask, why opera? I was never an opera fan...
Ben Morris
Jan 10
Film Music Examined #5: Poor Things
For this Film Music Examined, we’ll look at the fresh new score to Poor Things from newcomer Jerskin Fendrix. It’s his first score, and...
Ben Morris
Oct 7, 2023
Punkt Festival 2023: Remixes by the Sea
On the second floor of Theatret, a venue in the seaside city of Kristiansand, Norway, an audience listens to a folk melody on Hardanger...
Ben Morris
Jun 17, 2022
Making Pocket Guides: My Debut Album
In 2019, I was selected by the ASCAP Foundation to premiere four original tunes at the Newport Jazz Festival. I formed a quintet of...
Ben Morris
Dec 20, 2021
Film Music Examined #4: Spencer
As a composer often drawn to films because of their interesting and unique scores, I seek out scores that work in the context of the...
Ben Morris
Apr 23, 2019
Beowulf Residency at the CATWALK Institute
I’m spending April 2019 up in the Catskills Mountains at the CATWALK Institute working on a theatrical adaptation of Beowulf. My...
Ben Morris
Jun 12, 2018
Fulbright in Norway: Final Reflections
At this point, I only have a few months left in living in Europe, and it's hit me. I've been busy rehearsing all the music for my final...
Ben Morris
Apr 13, 2018
Fulbright in Norway: Uneven Beats and the Berlin Conference
While living in Norway, I've developed an interest in the uneven, lilting three-beat groove found in some Norwegian folk music, and how I...
Ben Morris
Feb 23, 2018
Fulbright in Norway: Site-Specific Theatre and a Mega Big Band
My daily schedule living in Oslo has been enriching—nearly every night, I attend a concert, while balancing a few commissions, lessons,...
Ben Morris
Dec 17, 2017
Fulbright in Norway: A Visit to Bergen
A lot has happened since my last blog post—new developments and future plans, new creative projects, more travels, and new friends. It’s...
Ben Morris
Oct 26, 2017
Fulbright in Norway: Introduction
I’m living in Oslo with a Fulbright Grant, working with jazz composer Helge Sunde, writing a large composition inspired by my Norwegian...
Ben Morris
Sep 23, 2017
Ultima Festivalen: A Recap
Oslo’s 2017 international contemporary music festival, Ultima, has recently come to a close. Ultima is a nine-day festival filled with...
Ben Morris
Jul 31, 2017
International Gugak Workshop: Week 2
The second week of the International Gugak Workshop began with a free day, which I used to explore the city via its expansive metro...
Ben Morris
Jul 15, 2017
International Gugak Workshop: Week 1
Week 1 in Seoul began with a night out exploring Gangnam (the namesake of Psy’s “Gangnam Style”)—it’s a sleek, Time-Square or...
Ben Morris
Jul 9, 2017
International Gugak Center in Seoul, SK: Introduction
These next two weeks, I’ll be in Seoul, South Korea, studying at the International Gugak Workshop at the National Gugak Center, an...
Ben Morris
Feb 20, 2017
Musical Essence
As I write this, I'm sitting in a courtyard of my university that has a strong vibe to it. It's a place that for me as a particular feel....
Ben Morris
Jan 14, 2017
Writing a Musical: Part 3
THE. MUSICAL. IS. COMPLETE. Or, abandoned, as they say. But, it’s safe to say all the music is written. The process has been a whirlwind...
Ben Morris
Oct 11, 2016
Writing a Musical: Part 2
This week, I finished a draft of “Yes, No, Please, Thank You,” a song performed by the hermit—the lead in the musical—and a cohort of...
Ben Morris
Oct 4, 2016
Writing a Musical: Part 1
I'm in the thick of writing a musical right now, and I want to give all you an idea of my process for those of you curious, or for those...
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