Felsenfeld gives a rebel yell to classical music on the NYTimes blog

Daniel Felsenfeld

Composers & the Voice alum and man of many talents Daniel Felsenfeld revealed his rebel background and its influence on his composing in a recent essay on the New York Times Opinionator blog.

At 17, rebellion was of course a staple in my life. The smartest kids I knew took the route of dolling themselves up in anti-establishment finery — goth, punk, straight edge — forming bands, going to clubs in Los Angeles, spouting manifestos.  I had auditioned this mode, joining a band (whose name escapes me) and, in one of my great (mercifully unphotographed) late high school moments, taking a long, throbbing solo at a school assembly on one of those bygone over-the-shoulder keyboards.

It seems implausible now, but the “something really wild” Mike held was not goth, metal, or punk.  It was a neatly hand-labeled tape of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.  He put it on, and I listened.  I think it was then I actually heard music for the first time.

Read Danny's full story here...