David McMullin
@mcmullin.bsky.social
Composer of music in search of a spirit of wonder. Exploring here for creative community and conversation. (I'll get my news and outrage elsewhere.)
https://david-mcmullin.com
musicians.today/@mcmullin
@mcmullin.musicians.today.ap.brid.gy
https://david-mcmullin.com
musicians.today/@mcmullin
@mcmullin.musicians.today.ap.brid.gy
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David McMullin
@mcmullin.bsky.social
· Oct 18
Radiance
Radiance — solo guitar — 2007 — 4 minutes David McMullin, composer Steven Lin, guitar recorded May 4, 2008 Radiance is dedicated to my wife, MingMing, on the occasion of our fifth wedding anniversa...
makertube.net
By way of further introduction, here’s some of my music: a short piece for solo guitar, dedicated to my wife, and performed by Steven Lin. Enjoy!
makertube.net/w/tMVHPMz788...
makertube.net/w/tMVHPMz788...
Massachusetts: can we have this? Do we?
SPREAD THE WORD
BREAKING: Letitia James has announced a Government portal for Videos and images of ICE Agents who may have committed crimes.
Please Use it and SHARE!
ag.ny.gov/federal-acti...
Please Use it and SHARE!
ag.ny.gov/federal-acti...
October 25, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Massachusetts: can we have this? Do we?
Reposted by David McMullin
I believe that 80% of all potential problems in new music are the composer's fault, and I work my ass off to fix those 80% before they end up in anyone's hands, but by god I'll hold my ground on that 20% and I've regretted every time I didn't.
The guide to any good musical performance:
Composers: assume the performers are morons.
Performers: the composer is most likely an actual moron
Composers: assume the performers are morons.
Performers: the composer is most likely an actual moron
October 25, 2025 at 9:04 AM
I believe that 80% of all potential problems in new music are the composer's fault, and I work my ass off to fix those 80% before they end up in anyone's hands, but by god I'll hold my ground on that 20% and I've regretted every time I didn't.
It turns out there are people out there who dedicate their lives to developing the tremendous skills and sensitivity it takes to make beautiful music out of dots on paper. I don’t have the discipline to do what they do, so instead I make dots on paper for them.
September 6, 2025 at 1:23 PM
It turns out there are people out there who dedicate their lives to developing the tremendous skills and sensitivity it takes to make beautiful music out of dots on paper. I don’t have the discipline to do what they do, so instead I make dots on paper for them.
Question for string players:
What’s the clearest, most efficient way to indicate to a string section that a long held note should be played as if continuously, changing bow direction as necessary, but as subtly as possible, without everyone rearticulating together?
What’s the clearest, most efficient way to indicate to a string section that a long held note should be played as if continuously, changing bow direction as necessary, but as subtly as possible, without everyone rearticulating together?
August 28, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Question for string players:
What’s the clearest, most efficient way to indicate to a string section that a long held note should be played as if continuously, changing bow direction as necessary, but as subtly as possible, without everyone rearticulating together?
What’s the clearest, most efficient way to indicate to a string section that a long held note should be played as if continuously, changing bow direction as necessary, but as subtly as possible, without everyone rearticulating together?
Reposted by David McMullin
And now I'm halfway through my sixth year of the outside world seeming like a massive threat - oh, because it is - and my world becoming very small as a result. #StillCoviding #FiveYearsOn
It's infuriating that we could've eliminated COVID but just didn't.
August 25, 2025 at 4:26 PM
And now I'm halfway through my sixth year of the outside world seeming like a massive threat - oh, because it is - and my world becoming very small as a result. #StillCoviding #FiveYearsOn
“We belong to one another and at the heart of all our catastrophes is a crisis of love: of ourselves, of one another as ourselves and of the Divine.”
Memory has its own geographies —
not all of which can be found on a map.
clereviewofbooks.com/how-hope-out... #booksky #poetry #quotes
not all of which can be found on a map.
clereviewofbooks.com/how-hope-out... #booksky #poetry #quotes
August 8, 2025 at 5:29 PM
“We belong to one another and at the heart of all our catastrophes is a crisis of love: of ourselves, of one another as ourselves and of the Divine.”
Many thanks to the one brave soul (it was @muz4now.com) who found my Bandcamp page and dropped some coins in the hat there! I don’t have a lot there yet, but what I do have is all name-your-price, i.e. free if you wish. So if you too are curious, help yourself:
davidmcmullin.bandcamp.com
davidmcmullin.bandcamp.com
David McMullin
davidmcmullin.bandcamp.com
August 1, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Many thanks to the one brave soul (it was @muz4now.com) who found my Bandcamp page and dropped some coins in the hat there! I don’t have a lot there yet, but what I do have is all name-your-price, i.e. free if you wish. So if you too are curious, help yourself:
davidmcmullin.bandcamp.com
davidmcmullin.bandcamp.com
There’s one little run in the rosary choral piece I’m composing that resembles other music just enough, in melodic contour, tempo, rhythm, accentuation pattern, and rhyme, that every time I get there my mind consistently supplies the wrong words…
July 29, 2025 at 9:12 PM
There’s one little run in the rosary choral piece I’m composing that resembles other music just enough, in melodic contour, tempo, rhythm, accentuation pattern, and rhyme, that every time I get there my mind consistently supplies the wrong words…
Reposted by David McMullin
New post at On a Pacific Aisle, with thoughts on the beginning of Esa-Pekka Salonen's last lap in San Francisco.
pacificaisle.substack.com/p/the-beginn...
pacificaisle.substack.com/p/the-beginn...
The beginning of the end
A superb rendition of Stravinsky's "Firebird" began the final chapter of Esa-Pekka Salonen's San Francisco tenure
pacificaisle.substack.com
May 28, 2025 at 7:05 PM
New post at On a Pacific Aisle, with thoughts on the beginning of Esa-Pekka Salonen's last lap in San Francisco.
pacificaisle.substack.com/p/the-beginn...
pacificaisle.substack.com/p/the-beginn...
The other day I made it to the end of part 1 (of 5, after an introduction) of the choral-orchestral piece I started a little over 5 years ago.
May 28, 2025 at 10:00 PM
The other day I made it to the end of part 1 (of 5, after an introduction) of the choral-orchestral piece I started a little over 5 years ago.
Reposted by David McMullin
Whenever I see “proslambanomenos” I hear it sung as a solo break for the bass in an a cappella doowop arrangement.
As Boethius surely intended.
As Boethius surely intended.
March 7, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Whenever I see “proslambanomenos” I hear it sung as a solo break for the bass in an a cappella doowop arrangement.
As Boethius surely intended.
As Boethius surely intended.
Reposted by David McMullin
"Requiem for a Stranger"
was my opus in 2021 - you know what was happening then
#grief #StrangerRequiem #NowPlaying
was my opus in 2021 - you know what was happening then
#grief #StrangerRequiem #NowPlaying
Requiem for a Stranger #StrangerRequiem #NowPlaying
Stan Stewart - @muz4now
muz4now.com
May 13, 2025 at 7:34 PM
"Requiem for a Stranger"
was my opus in 2021 - you know what was happening then
#grief #StrangerRequiem #NowPlaying
was my opus in 2021 - you know what was happening then
#grief #StrangerRequiem #NowPlaying
Reposted by David McMullin
Some day people are going to wake up and realize that the arts are not valuable because they make you better at math and science--THEY ARE GOOD ON THEIR OWN MERITS and teach kids skills that are far more useful in their daily lives: empathy, cooperation, listening...
May 13, 2025 at 4:26 AM
Some day people are going to wake up and realize that the arts are not valuable because they make you better at math and science--THEY ARE GOOD ON THEIR OWN MERITS and teach kids skills that are far more useful in their daily lives: empathy, cooperation, listening...
Reposted by David McMullin
Are there cool uses for genAI in art? In theory! Do I have any interest in finding them or seeing other people try to find them? Not at the moment! My decision to view all "AI art" as bad without reservation or qualification is a tactical one, to protect a thing I love from people trying to kill it.
May 13, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Are there cool uses for genAI in art? In theory! Do I have any interest in finding them or seeing other people try to find them? Not at the moment! My decision to view all "AI art" as bad without reservation or qualification is a tactical one, to protect a thing I love from people trying to kill it.
Reposted by David McMullin
I have some scores available on Bandcamp! Haven't had much success with it, but it's there for when I need it to be.
March 11, 2025 at 3:11 PM
I have some scores available on Bandcamp! Haven't had much success with it, but it's there for when I need it to be.
Reposted by David McMullin
FINALLY listening to @willmasonmusic.com's super cool new album, which I would also recommend for your @bandcamp.com Friday explorations today
newfocusrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/hemloc...
newfocusrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/hemloc...
Hemlocks, Peacocks, by Will Mason Quartet
7 track album
newfocusrecordings.bandcamp.com
March 7, 2025 at 8:44 PM
FINALLY listening to @willmasonmusic.com's super cool new album, which I would also recommend for your @bandcamp.com Friday explorations today
newfocusrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/hemloc...
newfocusrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/hemloc...
Reposted by David McMullin
In 2003 my Sonett V for #piano and #percussion was released at collegno label. Now there is a new recording of the same work played by Ragna Schirmer and Matthias Daneck out on Berlin Classics
! Thank you Ragna! www.col-legno.com/en/shop/2021... www.jpc.de/jpcng/classi... #contemporarymusic
! Thank you Ragna! www.col-legno.com/en/shop/2021... www.jpc.de/jpcng/classi... #contemporarymusic
René Hirschfeld - Wandlungen, available via col legno - New colors of music
Sensual musical language: From an English sonnet without words for piano and percussion to a suite for harp and percussion based on Shakespeare.
www.col-legno.com
March 10, 2025 at 11:55 AM
In 2003 my Sonett V for #piano and #percussion was released at collegno label. Now there is a new recording of the same work played by Ragna Schirmer and Matthias Daneck out on Berlin Classics
! Thank you Ragna! www.col-legno.com/en/shop/2021... www.jpc.de/jpcng/classi... #contemporarymusic
! Thank you Ragna! www.col-legno.com/en/shop/2021... www.jpc.de/jpcng/classi... #contemporarymusic
Reposted by David McMullin
Ok. Little chat. As we are hitting the 5 year anniversary of Covid lockdowns beginning in 2020, as someone who is permanently disabled by Long Covid, here’s what I’d *love* to see when people talk about the ongoing pandemic and how it effects them:
March 10, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Ok. Little chat. As we are hitting the 5 year anniversary of Covid lockdowns beginning in 2020, as someone who is permanently disabled by Long Covid, here’s what I’d *love* to see when people talk about the ongoing pandemic and how it effects them:
Reposted by David McMullin
An Irish guy called Anselm McDonnell is doing this: don't think he's on Bluesky though. anselmmcdonnell.bandcamp.com/merch
Merch from Anselm McDonnell
Merch from Anselm McDonnell
anselmmcdonnell.bandcamp.com
March 7, 2025 at 11:41 PM
An Irish guy called Anselm McDonnell is doing this: don't think he's on Bluesky though. anselmmcdonnell.bandcamp.com/merch
Bandcamp Friday has me wondering:
Have any composers here tried distributing or selling scores and parts as “merch” on bandcamp (or faircamp/mirlo/jamcoop/bandwagon/etc)?
Have any composers here tried distributing or selling scores and parts as “merch” on bandcamp (or faircamp/mirlo/jamcoop/bandwagon/etc)?
March 7, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Bandcamp Friday has me wondering:
Have any composers here tried distributing or selling scores and parts as “merch” on bandcamp (or faircamp/mirlo/jamcoop/bandwagon/etc)?
Have any composers here tried distributing or selling scores and parts as “merch” on bandcamp (or faircamp/mirlo/jamcoop/bandwagon/etc)?
When I hear “content” I think:
The bottle exists to carry the wine.
The wine does not exist to fill the bottle.
The bottle exists to carry the wine.
The wine does not exist to fill the bottle.
March 3, 2025 at 9:46 PM
When I hear “content” I think:
The bottle exists to carry the wine.
The wine does not exist to fill the bottle.
The bottle exists to carry the wine.
The wine does not exist to fill the bottle.
Reposted by David McMullin
A friend recently mentioned to me that they had seen a D&D style alignment matrix for Boston area intersections. I find myself fascinated by this, and it's late and I'm a bit of a wreck, so here we go in no particular order and with no promises of completeness.
1/?
1/?
March 3, 2025 at 2:15 AM
A friend recently mentioned to me that they had seen a D&D style alignment matrix for Boston area intersections. I find myself fascinated by this, and it's late and I'm a bit of a wreck, so here we go in no particular order and with no promises of completeness.
1/?
1/?
Reposted by David McMullin
Everyone tip double at Veselka tonight
February 28, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Everyone tip double at Veselka tonight
Reposted by David McMullin
Today's BA newsletter includes a major announcement: WE'RE RELEASING A CECIL TAYLOR ALBUM. More details, some other cool news, and some interesting links for paying subscribers, within. Read, share, subscribe!
burningambulance.substack.com/p/links-n-su...
burningambulance.substack.com/p/links-n-su...
Links 'n' Such: February 21, 2025
Plus, an announcement about two new CDs from our label
burningambulance.substack.com
February 21, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Today's BA newsletter includes a major announcement: WE'RE RELEASING A CECIL TAYLOR ALBUM. More details, some other cool news, and some interesting links for paying subscribers, within. Read, share, subscribe!
burningambulance.substack.com/p/links-n-su...
burningambulance.substack.com/p/links-n-su...
#Violin players, please help me out: Is this playable? Tempo is quarter-note = 68. And is it the good kind of challenging, or is it the curse-the-jerk-who-wrote-this kind of challenging?
February 19, 2025 at 9:19 PM
#Violin players, please help me out: Is this playable? Tempo is quarter-note = 68. And is it the good kind of challenging, or is it the curse-the-jerk-who-wrote-this kind of challenging?