Richard Byron Strunk's photostream

I am a serious composer specializing in visual music synthesis; plus an active, adventurous, free-thinking person who enjoys reconnecting with old friends, meeting new people and having good conversations.

Composer Bio:

Born in Casper,WY in the summer of 1957, Richard Byron Strunk by age 4 was taking piano lessons at his pre-nursery school. In the late '70's & early '80s at Grinnell College he studied advance piano techniques with concert pianist John Jensen & musical composition with composers Alan Leichtling (Student of the great composers Roger Sessions, Darius Milhaud & Vincent Persichetti), and Jon Wellstead, and Lee Cloud (Student of the great experimental American composer Peter Todd Lewis). Rick's early electronic works and conceptually-based instrumental compositions earned him the reputation early on in College as a pioneer within the Advance Front of New Music. His works to date cover a wide and diverse spectrum of musical types embodying both conservative elements and radical innovations.

Mr Strunk originated the kaleidoscopic music method in the late 1970's & very early 1980's and it is essentially a way to make Cubist music in any genre. His purpose in doing this was because he saw a need in the fragmented craft of modern music of bridge building between the fragmented orientations of listeners.

The kaleidoscopic music method allowed for the expansion of the Musical Form Theme and Variations to Composition and Variations and was originated by Mr. Strunk.

In the early '90's Mr. Strunk was diagnosed with a severely functionally debilitating illness and his career seemed over. Yet even with being beset with both his illness, and being homeless for quite a number of months at several different times during this past decade, he continued to compose by gaining access to pianos in area churches. Much of the music he wrote during these difficult times reflects the beauty and joy of life rather than of only focusing on his suffering, and speaks to the heart, with substantive meaning for the mind, of one man's triumph of hope persevering over despair.

Mr. Strunk believes that disability does not mean inability. Like many of the severely disabled, he is living proof that the disabled can and often do make valuable contributions to their communities and Society. All contributions from people at whatever level of development or recovery are valuable.

When Mr. Strunk is not engaged in treatment for his illness; working on his Music and Visual Art projects or doing his household chores, he does enjoy watching a wide assortment of movies or playing computer games such as Baldurs Gate, Diablo, NeverWinterNights, as well as, EverQuest, Lord Of The Rings or StarTrek online.

Currently Mr. Strunk has been exploring the New Salon Venue of performance for his works via Computer/Internet broadcasts and distribution of his music and visualizations now available for home listening and viewing on CD and DVD. Thus, Like Chopin involved within the earlier tradition of the Old Style Salon recitals, Mr. Strunk's Music and visual works are being performed/played in the homey comfort of the modern audiences living rooms. To Date, Mr. Strunk has composed over 800 musical compositions.

More info at my main website:
www.RicksEnterprises.com
or
www.myspace.com/432727154