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ABOUT Barton & Priscilla McLean

Husband-wife composer/performer duo Priscilla and Barton McLean formed the McLean Mix in 1974, employing an unusual combination of (1) audience interactive installations or "creative playpens" through use of technology, (2) virtuosic and evocative concerts and lecture/performances, (3) extensive use of visual media, and (4) specific thematic content drawing from sources such as intriguing experimental techniques, world music, and sounds of nature. Their versatility is evidenced by their extensive touring as full-time artists in virtually all corners of the world for the past 30 years, after having taught at major universities before that (see Academic Credentials link).. Although often centering its activity around university residencies and concerts which serve as its mainstay, they were equally at home with alternative spaces and galleries and community arts centers and museums, where they developed specifically-targeted programs for urban audiences as well as family-oriented events. In 2013 they retired from full-time touring, continuing with selected residencies. Since 2015 they have been actively composing with the Kyma system from Symbolic Sound, the results of which are available on YouTube.

 

Priscilla McLean performing at Williams
Barton and Priscilla McLean/Hammondd

The McLean Mix invitations as featured guests at major festivals/events:

First Night Saratoga ~ Modfest 2005 at Vassar College ~ Electronic Music Festival at Muhlenberg College ~ First Festival of Electroacoustic Music-Electroshock, St. Petersburg, Russia ~ Athens International Film Festival ~ MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art ~ Bennington College Composer/Chamber Music Conf. ~ Western Illinois University at Macomb: New Music Festival '95 ~ WGBH-FM: Morning Pro Musica Live with Robert J. Lurtsema (four appearances) ~ The Oakland Museum ~ The Univ. of Texas/ San Antonio Festival of New Music ~ Festival of New American Music at Calif. State at Sacramento ~ The Morning Program at KPFA, Berkeley (3 appearances) ~ New Music America ~ College Music Society National Convention (2 appearances) ~ Society of Composers Inc. (5 appearances) ~ MTNA National Convention ~ Contemporary Music Festival 1991, Univ. of Deleware ~ SEAMUS National Convention (3 appearances) ~ Australian Broadcasting Corp. "Free Range" ~ Chautauqua Ins. Conference on Global Ethics and the Environment ~ Univ. of Vermont Symposium on Music and the Environment ~ 4th Annual Festival of New Music: Univ. of Maryland ~ 6th Annual New Music Festival at Bowling Green State University (commissioned guests) ~ The North American New Music Festival (SUNY-Buffalo) ~ The Lipa Festival, Univ. of Iowa/Ames ~ Festival of Contemporary Music/ The Univ. of Kansas/Lawrence (2 appearances) ~ Zagreb Muzicki Biennale ~ ICMC at Univ. of N. Texas ~ Yellow Springs Institute ~ Bourges Festival ~ Internationale Gaudeamus Muzeickweek ~ Electronic Music Plus (3) ~ CNN ~ NPR All Things Considered ~ Radiofest: New American Music (NPR, APR) ~ UNIMAS (Malaysia) ~ Asian Composers League Fest. TUNUGAN '97 (Philippines) ~ Ball State Univ. Festival ~ Kerrville Festival ~ Indiana State Univ-Terre Haute/Indianapolis Symphony Festival ~ NPR-The Environment Show ~ Albany Symphony Orchestra (as soloists) ~ Banff Festival ~ Cincinatti Symphony Festival at ISU-Terre Haute (2)

 

"Again and again, The McLean Mix comes up with awesome sounds and textures - and I mean "awesome" quite literally. Even though this is modern music that places communication with a non-specialist audience high on its agenda, listeners will get no free rides from it. They'll have to put aside their prejudices and hear it for what it is."  ...Raymond Tuttle in Classical.net

 

Go to these links from this page

(from drop down menu "About")

Links to  sites outside this one

YouTube Playlist: 89 videos exclusively featuring the McLeans, with music (some with scores to follow), performances, historical interviews, installation demos, more.

McLean Mix touring site: Describes various programs, info about MAX/MSP offerings, installation demos, more.

WorldCat search for Barton McLean:  Find any composition by Barton McLean residing in any library in the world with this search engine.

WorldCat search for Priscilla McLean:  Find any composition by Priscilla McLean residing in any library in the world with this search engine.

iUniverse publishers: Priscilla McLean's autobio "Hanging off the Edge"

Classical Net reviews: The most comprehensive set of reviews of Priscilla and Barton McLean's CDs and DVDs.

Wikipedia entries for  Priscilla and Barton.

Purchase McLean CDs and books from Amazon.com by Priscilla and Barton.

Purchase any of the four Smithsonian-Folkways McLean LP releases, reissued digitally.

Purchase any of the five New World Records-CRI  McLean CD or LP releases, reissued digitally. in the search window, find the "composer" menu and pull down either "Barton McLean" or "Priscilla McLean."

Purchase any of the four former Capstone CD release, now reissued under the Ravello label. Select "M" and scroll down to the name.

New Music USA Online Library. A good source for most McLean scores and sound files.  Start with the online library page HERE, click on  "search"on the upper left under "Explore," and enter either Priscilla McLean or Barton McLean in the search window. No login is necessary. 

Innova Records composer page for Barton McLean.

Apple Music has a fairly good collection of Priscilla and Barton McLean's music. 

McLean Archive at the Crane Library, SUNY Potsdam, NY. Materials not on these web sites (and many that are) will find hard and digital copies , some of which can circulate and others which can serve as research tools at the Library.  Contact the Crane Librarian Ed Komara.

Stream and  view  Priscilla McLean's music for free HERE.

Stream, view, and download Barton McLean's music for free HERE.

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