Austin Shadduck

WSW: When did you start composing?
AS: My first compositions began as music theory assignments in high school. I was fortunate to have the resources and teacher support to write and record three pieces during my senior year, and I was hooked by the thrill of bringing music to life outside of my head.

WSW: What were your early musical inspirations?
AS: Video game soundtracks, jazz, wind band music, and sax quartet arrangements. From middle school to undergrad, I spent weekends playing games and weekdays playing tenor or bari sax in various ensembles. Jazz left a major impression on me; being encouraged to improvise at a young age probably got the composition gears turning, plus it’s just the happiest music, even when it’s sad.

WSW: What inspires you now?
AS: So many things, too many to list, but I’ll say that lately I’ve been studying Takemitsu, listening to the piano works of Gavrilin, and practicing modern shakuhachi solo music. I’ve been playing the bamboo flute since 2009, and it’s a major source of compositional ideas.

WSW: What has been your biggest challenge in composing?
AS: Despite growing up with jazz and improvisation, I have a hard time letting music flow when I write for others. I’m an editor by nature and profession (I work as a sheet music engraver), and I have a tendency to get hung up on small details as I go. Then there’s the challenge of simply getting myself to sit down and write! As much as I hate to admit it, composition is a rough process for me. The real joy is often in the final score edits and performance, not in the bulk of the writing, which makes blank manuscript paper especially intimidating. Luckily I get wrapped up in a project once it takes off, so the trick is avoiding avoidance and rolling with early ideas instead of being critical to the point of inertia.

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