Musicatlas
Music
Recordings:
- Commercial Suicide, 2002 (popular) - 17 pop-art song album of broadway influenced works.
- One Time Around the Block, 2002 (classical) - for orchestra and chamber ensembles
- Cream, Sugar, and Dirty Secrets, 2000 (popular) - 15 song album of classical, pop and jazz influenced works
- Scenes From a Dream, 1997 (popular) - 15 song album of jazz, Latin, swing, blues, and rock influenced works
Life
Colin Stack has been writing, producing, coaching, and directing his own music professionally since 1994. He began as a self-taught singer/songwriter/instrumentalist, singing in acoustic settings while playing guitar and piano. The big turning point in Mr. Stack’s musical career came at age 15 when he attended the National Guitar Summer Workshop in Connecticut. After that summer, he began singing, playing, writing, and recording his music all the time. In the fall of 1994, he assembled his band "The Project" and continued to record and perform with them until they broke up in 1998. Various Project members still appear periodically on Mr. Stack’s solo albums.
As his songwriting and performing skills developed he became increasingly interested in concert music. He returned to the National Guitar Workshop the following summer of 1995 and began formal study in music composition with Michael Jefry Stevens. He continued his studies that fall with New York City based conductor and composer Joel Thome, who remained Mr. Stack’s principal teacher until 1998. He also studied with Sue Powell (principal bassist for the Hudson Valley Philharmonic) for classical bass instruction. He performed in the Hudson Youth Symphony from 1995-98, and the Bard College Wind Ensemble from 1997-98.
Mr. Stack received his B.M. in music composition in the spring of 2002 at the New England Conservatory, and he is currently pursuing a M.M. in composition at the same school. His principal teachers during undergraduate studies were Robert Ceely and Michael Gandolfi. Mr. Stack continues to study with Michael Gandolfi while pursuing his Masters. Previous composition instruction includes Lee Hyla, Malcolm Peyton, Caleb Morgan, and Eleanor Hovda.
Mr. Stack has been commissioned by the Boston Conservatory Saxophone Ensemble, The New Bedford Symphony, The Woodstock Chamber Orchestra, and The DaCappo Chamber Players. He has also been commissioned and received performances by various student ensembles at Harvard University, the New England Conservatory, the Boston Conservatory, Providence College, Colgate University, the Hartt School of Music, Brown University, and Bard College.
Mr. Stack recently completed Another Roadside Attraction commissioned by Lori Smukala for a nine-piece chamber group at the Hartt School of Music. He is currently completing a commission for classical saxophonist Eliot Gattegno and five other players at the New England Conservatory.
Colin Stack has three albums on his own label (Stacktone Music) as a singer/songwriter, each devoted to exploring a variety of musical genres. His latest release, Commercial Suicide (2002) contains over 70 minutes of pop-art songs recorded with chamber orchestras, jazz combos, string quartets, rock/funk bands, and electronic settings. Mr. Stack’s concert music is compiled on One Time Around the Block (2002). All four CDs can be purchased through this site.