Christopher M. Skebo

Christopher Michael Skebo (January 6, 1983 - ) As a creative composer, improviser, educator and multi-instrumentalist Christopher Skebo continues to stretch the bounds of creative music. A graduate of Mills College (M.A. in Composition, ’09) and Wayne State University (B.M. in Music Education/Composition, ’07), Skebo’s musical hybrid of composition and improvisation blurs the lines between the notated and the spontaneous. In May of 2006, Skebo was awarded the Outstanding Composition Award from Wayne State University of his electro-acoustic composition “Das Ratsel von Adolf Hitler.” In August 2006, Skebo was awarded an undergraduate research grant by the WSU Honors College to work on his "Music for EWI, Turntables, and Percussion." A fragment of this composition was presented at the 2006 WSU Conference on Undergraduate Research. In April 2007, Skebo and his Ensemble presented the full version of "Music for EWI, Turntables, and Percussion" at the 21st Annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research in San Rafael, California. In 2009, he received the Elizabeth Mills Crothers Award at Mills College for Outstanding Compositional Achievement. A composer in many mediums, Skebo has written dance music for Wayne State University, Mills College and Rapid Decent Dance Company. Skebo performed and led improviser groups at the Chicago Calling Festival (’08 and ’09) and performed at the Detroit Jazz Festival (’99, ’00 and ‘01). Skebo has studied with creative musicians Roscoe Mitchell, Chris Brown, John Bischoff, and Fred Frith at Mills College and studied composition with James Hartway and Jon Anderson at Wayne State University. Skebo is the founder of “Little Grey Cat Records” a record label with a focus on creative music and is the founder of the Association for Creative Musicians of Detroit (ACMD). He is also a member of American Composers Forum, American Music Center and ASCAP. Sekbo’s compositions are published exclusively through Stuck in a Glass Cage Publishing. To contact, email CS at: [email protected]
LIST OF WORKS
Music for Dance:
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back (2008) - 8' 26" For 2 violins, cello, vibraphone, electric bass, piano and 2 percussionists
Keystone (2008) - 12' 08" For acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, electric bass, laptop and 3 percussionists
Idiosyncratic (2007) - 5' 22" For tenor sax, prepared guitar, piano and percussion
Amaurosis (2007) - 6' 53" For violin, cello, piano and percussion
Parallel Lines (2006) – 5’ 33” For electric violin, Korg MS200, piano, bass and drum set
Throwing Back (2006) – 10’ 29” For Piano, Roland Fantom and percussion
Music for Piano:
Like Clockwork (2006) - 3'32" For piano 4-hands
Prepared Piano 1 (2005) – 23’ 17” For prepared piano
Variation for Toy Piano (2004) – 3’ 05” For toy piano
The Mockingbird (2004) - 1' 34" For piano
Music for Ensembles:
Tri-Cycle (2008) - unlimited For any combination of 6 or more instruments
Twitching in the Sheets (2008) - 17' 26" For any combination of 3 instruments
Music for EWI, Turntables and Percussion (2006) - 5' 37" For EWI, 2 Turntables and 2 Percussionist
Variation for Jazz Quintet (2006) - 8' 34" For Game Calls, Tenor Sax, Electric Guitar, Piano, Electric Bass, Drumset
Le Complexe Abandonné d'Appartement (2006) – 7’ 49” For brass quintet: 2 trumpets, 1 horn, 1 trombone and tuba
The Hitman (2006) - 3' 51" For 2 Electric Guitars, Electric Violin, Sampler, Electric Bass, Drumset
Like Clockwork (2005) – 3’ 32” For Small Ensemble: Baritone Sax, Marimba, Electric Guitar, piano and electric bass
Driving Down to Wayne Sate on I-75 at 6:30 in the Morning (2005) – 0’ 41” For beginning brass ensemble: 2 trumpets, 2 horns, 2 trombones and baritone or tuba
Variation X (2005) – 9’ 04” For clarinet with effects and five turntables
Lt. Columbo (2005) – 3’ 59” For jazz ensemble: 2 trumpets, alto sax, tenor, sax, 2 trombones, guitar, bass and drum set
Das Rätsel von Adlof Hitler (2005) – 7’ 31” For electric/acoustic ensemble: electric violin, piano, Roland Fantom and 3 percussionists
Conversation Concerning Pop Music in 1978 (2003) – 3’ 29” For flute and electric bass
Music for Voice:
When Hugo Wolf Went Mad - (2008) - 5' 14" For Mezzo-Soprano Voice, C Trumpet, Piano and Drumset
Art (2008) - 3'45" For mezzo-soprano voice and piano
Seven Rumsfeld Songs (2007) - 5'23" For tenor voice and piano
Troubles in the Night (2005) – 5’ 36” For mezzo-soprano voice, clarinet, piano and percussion
Lecture (2004) – 9’ 14” For voice and piano
Music for Solo Instrument:
Sonic Vibe (2008) - 6' 14" For solo vibraphone
Solo Improvisation 1 (2008) - unlimited For anything
Mercury (2003) – 5’ 14” For unaccompanied Tenor saxophone