A LITTLE HISTORY

We're not sure what inspired Eastman School of Music professor Robert Gauldin to throw all the freshman composers into the same music theory class, but whatever his pedagogical intent, going to the same class five days a week for two years forged a sense of solidarity between us, with far-ranging consequences. At the end of each intense day of classes, rehearsals, composing, and practicing, we'd reconvene during dinnertime with like-minded friends at our Algonquin Rectangular Table in Munro dining hall to discuss the films of Hitchcock and Bergman, dissect the evil of the Nixon administration, play with our food (in a novel form of artistic expression somewhere between sculpture and performance art), and do seemingly countless bits—often given titles to facilitate requests. There were "Thrill-Seekers," "Oliver Twist," "The Littlest Angel," "My Eye!," "Charlie Keely," “Sneezing,” and many more. In short, we were Composers Behaving Badly...and loudly! Thus The Clique was born.

Many years later, we still find find time to get together and drink wine, eat well, behave crassly at the dinner table, and otherwise act like the superannuated adolescents we are. The craziness was and is just one part (make no mistake, a large part) of friendships and musical partnerships that have endured for over forty years. On May 30, we’ll try to behave ourselves long enough to celebrate our sixtieth birth year (and in Pam’s case, the eve of her actual birthday) with this program of our music. Performers will include several other 70’s-era Eastmaniac friends: Kathy Fink, Chris Kollgaard, Susan May Schneider, and Toni Lipton Temple. Before and after intermission, we’ll also remember our free improvisation sessions in the Basement Assembly room of Eastman (long since fallen prey to renovations) with an improvisation over David Snow’s Notes from Underground.

Please join us for this celebration and for a reception afterwards. There’s cake!

From humble beginnings...

Photo credits: Diane Dabczynski