After a long long winter of minus degrees and frozen lakes, the weather seemed to smile a bit, this last weekend. Like many others in København, I was invited to join a party. Well, it wasn't really a party, it was more like a social event, like the ones you sometimes have to participate in, to refresh your socialize abilities and escape from the everyday routine. During this 'event', I, as expected, met some new people and at a certain point I had to introduce myself. What my name is and what I do. Typical procedure. But very often leading to awkward situations.

I have personally noticed that, if the person you meet has more or less some kind of connection with the music world, (such as f.x. people attending a reception held after a concert), the communication is immediate and easy. If not, then after saying my name I often find myself in a very uncomfortable position.

- ...and what do you do?
- composer

Normally, this answer is satisfying and it is not followed by further questions. Either because the person I speak with, actually knows what a composer does, or because he or she doesn't really get it, but they don't want to bring themselves in an uncomfortable position.

Very often, some people show an interest to learn more

- composer? what instrument do you play?
- eeem, I compose music, I ''write'' music...
If I am lucky this last phrase is enough.

If not...

- oooh, you compose music! what kind of music?

...and there it is where the trouble starts...
I guess that if I made rock, pop, country, disco, hip-hop, new age, heavy metal or something, the answer would be clear and life would be much easier. Breathing in to prepare myself to reply, thousands of possible answers are dancing inside my head, but still, not a single one of them can precisely describe or can be convincing enough to prevent any further explanation...
Here is some examples of small conversations I have experienced in the last 6-7 years, trying to answer this 'simple' question...

'What kind of music do you compose?'

i. klassisk

- composer? what kind of music do you compose?
- classical
- oooh! like Beethoven!
- well, Beethoven lived 200 years ago, things have actually changed a bit since then...
- so it's not really 'classical' music, is it?
- some people call it New Classical
- New Classical Music?
- Yeah, I guess you can call it like that...
- I see! New Classical music sounds great!
- Do you think so? Do you have any favorites?
- I really like Yanni, I have all his cd's.
- . . .

ii. ny musik

- ...and what kind of music do you compose?
- new music
- why do you call it new?
- so that it can be distinguished from the old one
- what is different in it, it is still music isn't it?
- I don't know how to explain it... eeeh, we usually use extended instrument playing techniques and I guess the overall perception of sound is also different comparing to the classical period...
- yes, but you still use classical instruments, violins etc...
- yes, of course and sometimes also combine them with electronics! (I tried to make a manoeuvre here, which finally proved to be a big mistake...)
- you compose electronic music, too?
- yes, I do.
- Perfect! I should get your cd, we have a dancing party this weekend!
- . . .

iii. sange?

- composer? Great! Was any of your songs a radio hit?
- Unfortunately, I don't write songs.
- What do you write?
- Just music.
- And who is singing?
- Nobody, it's just music.
-(. . .) Aaaah! I see! Instrumental music! Like the one we listen to during our 'yoga' sessions!
- . . .

iv. melodi?

- composer? where can I listen to your music?
- I have 3-4 works uploaded on my website, check it out!

there is a computer in the next room, the website's link is immediately typed in and after listening to ca.1 minute of a piece:

- ... nice...but....
- what? you don't like it?
- eeeh...when does it start, where is the melody?
- what do you mean?
- I mean...eeeh...there is no melody, I just hear sounds...
- . . .

I have also tried to use terms like: 'serious' music (a term which, as a matter of fact, I dislike, since it excludes seriousness from all other music genres!), experimental, contemporary or even ambient! The results were similar and often quite entertaining.
Most of these people I met here and there were actually willing to understand. Many said that they don't really know this 'new' music, but it seems like an interesting thing to explore. With some others, we reached some kind of agreement on, 'what' this music 'should' be called. In several cases, I found it really hard to go on with the conversation, without becoming offensive.
What truly worries me is that, I still cannot think of a proper name, still cannot find an uncomplicated answer, to this simple question...'what kind of music we compose...'

København, Maj 2010
Christos Farmakis