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Show i iyBc'' Novelty song first inspired composer prize-winni- ng M.trv : c TV YOU K must1 wines in various forms to comosers of classical music Michael Oil grass, who won the Pulitzer Prize in music this year, was first inspired tiy hearing "The Big Noise from Winnetka." a novelty song recorded in 13.i!l h the Boh Crosby Kami ft wasn't hassist whistling through his ljr Suit ukr Sribnnr e Tlie Sunday, October iSection 22, 197K I- - Page One ii him. It wasn't the eomosition itsell It was Dixieland drummer Kay Bauduc ljttle Michael Colgrass of Brook field. 111., became a drummer nght away Drums through School Playing drums in jazz and dance bands, he put himself through the ITuversity of Illinois, where he was a percussion performance major. In 135b. after two years in the Seventh Army Symphony and college graduation, he moved to New York and Veamo a ffllfP b&:: m ; V i 4 jWte mt y ' . Vv- : : -- - V' .'Act. :V v ufHfftfest m Ir ;.y Iu s' ' s V .v. rrvV'' 'rfbt'jt,.'? w f ,x 'N :;: .?&. vs ' 2 : .. $ .. ., I - .v;. th'U A 4 v .. j ' . , - f' . r iN.- t ' M v i & m 9 N A ir z,: , r?- -i , 49 ' s f i e, ' v w.. : Sir s , " v fc aki A&soctareO Michael Colgrass, winner of Pulitzer Prize for music composition, says, Press NewsF eatures Photo The more you work, the more inspiration comes. He had started composing a little in college, at the suggestion of a professor. He wrote "Three Brothers" "Four Brothers was one of his favorite s for nine percussion jazz students. And he wrote "Variations for Four Drums and Viola which viola pupils at the Juilliard School now study. "1 continued to write for drums. A composer friend said that was tint limiting; I slmuld write for other instruments. Strings have dignified music to play. A lot of what drummers t. play is junk And if you transpose Mozart and play it on a xylophone, it sounds terrible. "Musician friends would want me to write a piano concerto and I would write for piano and percussion. I would always bend it- - After that conversation. 1 just stopped bending it. Stops Performing Colgrass found he was composing more and working as a percussionist less. In I3ti7, he stopped working as a drummer and since then has made his living entirely as a composer. Commissions came in. In BHis. Charles Wadsworth, having liked a piece Colgrass wrote for viola, commissioned him to write something for voice and a few instruments for the Lincoln Center Cham 1st Music Society. Colgrass had never written for voice, but he composed some songs. New People. They got him a Pulitzer Prize nomination. "Best Wishes U.S.A.," one of his five Bicentennial commissions, became his second Pulitzer nomination. Done for the Springfield. Mass., Symphony, it is his favorite among his own works. Its drawback is that it takes a lot of two choruses, four vocal musicians soloists, jazz band, folk instruments and orchestra. The third Pulitzer nomination won for Colgrass. It was written for the New York Philharmonic. Colgrass wasn't really pleased when he received the commission because it was for four rat-a-ta- I IMirussion soloists and orctie-nrhadn't played erciis.sion for II years and hadnt written for percussion for 1., years. I was dlsapxinted Irecaiise I thought it was like going hack and doing something over again Lately I had been writing lyrically for strings " Observes Rehearsal Colgrass titled the puna. "Deja Vu " Beti ire lie startei asked pennis-aoorchestra rehearsal tired him up " 'Dcja Vu' is a very energetic pier o. not bocati'-- ol the percussion per se You get a led mg the orchestra is ready to explode any minute " When Colgrass was extra man in the Philharmonic's percussion section, lie studied how orchestras worked and orchestral romp tsit ions are (Hit to gother. He says. "A drummer sits lit minutes and then goes Txmm, crash You have time really to study what is going on and learn ulmut the orchestra. If hadn't txfti a composer, I would have daydreamed Rut could sit right m the orchestra and hear how Barti4i did it. I learned a lot that way." Not all of Colgrass' time in those days were spent with classical music. In 1357, while he was still establishing his drumming credentials. "West Side on Broadway Story" ox-neHard to Play' "That sliow was very hard to play," he says "They needed somebody who could play both jazz and concert music. The original drummer wanted to take a v acation and he couldn't get anylmdy to sit in lor two weeks. You didn't get a chance to rehearse. The best drummers didn't want to do it they didn't want to fall on their face "1 had nothing to lose. No one knew me. And I knew if I did a good job would get around. I love crunch situations anyway and I like a little sense of danger. I went in and did it Then the first guy wanted to go to another show and I stayed on for eight months." hi Colgrass received a Guggenheim grant to study composing in Denmark where he met and married a journalist named Ulla. They bought a house in New Jersey, added a composing room and kept an apartment in New York. A son. Neal, was born in 1370. Bui the suburbs weren't right for ITla. "She wondered what to do with herself. 1 realizes! it was the classic situation. I didnt need New York. Commissions come by telephone and letter. You can throw r. composer out in the witnds. But what alxiut his wife? A television showi about Toronto provided the solution. They visited there, liked it. bought a house, moved. In January, Ulla Colgrass started a classical music magazine. Her husband works at the piano on a 9 to 5 schedule with half days Saturday, ending when Neal pops his head in and says. "Come on. Mike, it's time to play. I dont wait for inspiration, CoIdeas dont come from lgrass says. nowhere. Tne more you work, the more inspiration comes. And thank goodttev. for commissions. You have a stand and deadline." What will the Pulitzer Prize mean? Colgrass grins. "I'll start by asking people to call me Excellency. I already have what I want. I am making a Living as a composer. I have a family life. "I guess the Pulitzer will help to confirm me. A lot of people w on't make a decision about a composer thenv selves. But theyll think he must be good if he won a prize. 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