Summary: For this New Sounds, composer and founder of the new music group Newspeak, David T. Little, joins John Schaefer to present selections from his hour-long multimedia one-man opera, “Soldier Songs.” The work is in three acts, which explore the perceptions of war throughout the character’s life; Youth – where war is a game, Warrior - where war is reality, and Elder - which is more of a philosophical approach to war. Games are at the heart of the work, as evidenced by the accompanying visuals - realistic-looking video game imagery by an animator. For background, Little drew from interviews with veterans, as well as enlisted friends and family. The sound-world of "Soldier Songs," although influenced by the stories collected (where one soldier tells of listening to Metallica on his iPod) reflects both Little’s interests in musical theatre and his experience as a heavy metal drummer. (Illusions to “Black Metal” and “Death Metal” are actually referring to weapons, not the genres of metal.) We’ll hear selections from each of the three parts of the opera, including “Still Life with Tank and iPod” from the Warrior section, “Real American Heroes” from the Child section, and “Hunting Emmanuel Goldstein” from the Elder portion, (which, as Little explains, is the nod to George Orwell’s “1984”in the piece.) PROGRAM #3416, “Soldier Songs” with David. T. Little (First aired on 1/7/2013) ARTIST(S) RECORDING CUT(S) SOURCE Newspeak Sweet Light Crude David T Little:sweet light crude, excerpt [1:30] New Amsterdam NWAM026 www.newamsterdamrecords.com www.newspeakmusic.org David T. Little, David Adam Moore, Todd Reynolds and Newspeak Soldier Songs David T. Little: Soldier Songs Part One- Youth I. Real American Heroes [2:31] Youth III. Counting the Days (for Gene Little) [3:49] Part Two-Warrior IV. Still Life with Tank and iPod [2:18] Warrior V. Old Friends with Large Weapons (for Michael Lear) [2:10] Warrior VI. Hollywood Ending (for Justen Bennett) [3:21] Warrior VII. Steel Rain [4:31] Part Three Elder VIII. Hunting Emmanuel Goldstein [4:12] Elder X. Two Marines [7:14] Elder XI. War After War, excerpt [2:45] Innova 852 www.innova.mu
