Manifesto
I believe that music can be everything. It can be pure feel good entertainment for a casual listener or it can also be life changing and touching. I believe that there is still an audience for more intellectually challenging music artforms and that my music does not have to fit in with the trends. Music can tell stories by itself, taking the listener on an emotional and complex journey full with ups and downs, plot twists and revelations, or it can paint an abstract and colourful Kandinsky like picture with points, lines and planes, or it can also sit in the background in a dentist's room making you feel less frightened. I believe in the power of the human voice as a musical instrument that can express emotion in the deepest way. I believe that music does not need any outside influence to come to life but it can develop out of a sound, a chord progression, a rhythm or a melody. It doesn't have to mean or portrait anything to me in order to exist. It emanates out of craftsmanship and a deep understanding of music in itself. Playing with textures that let me feel or taste the sounds, making harmonic progressions fit like puzzle pieces, the thrill of finding a melody that speaks to me in a deep way or a rhythm that makes me want to stand up and move to the beat.
I love music that has a certain amount of profoundness and complexity but it doesn’t go so far as being completely intellectual and hard to grasp or that it’s difficult to have an emotional connection with it. I love when music makes me grin and tickles my brain in some way, challenges my imagination or transports me into a specific atmosphere or setting where I can feel the intention and creativity of the composer. I love that music lives in space and can be extremely grand or exceptionally tiny. I love that music accompanies me through my life and the different stages and can take me back to those moments in a heartbeat just by listening to a tune or singing a melody. I also love that music can be difficult but yet rewarding in every stage of my life and professional development. I love that music lets people connect socially and emotionally. In my experience as a choir conductor I’ve witnessed first hand how breathing simultaneously with the other singers in the choir can lead to a homogeneous energy state in the room and brings people together more quickly after the rehearsal.
I know that music is a discipline that can take a lifetime to master. I know that society does not always value music and art the way musicians and artists would like it to. I know that the amount of time on earth is limited and that I have to make the most out of it. I know that good craftsmanship is not enough to be transcendent as an artist but it takes a unique personality and a vast understanding of the professional field to produce something interesting and original. I know that patience is key and that small steps towards a transcendent direction are more valuable than huge leaps towards a pretentious one. I know that music is going to be there every day of my life and that the pursuit of profound and meaningful music is worth a lifetime of effort and perseverance. I know that curiosity is one of the most important qualities for a composer and that criticism can be helpful but also very harmful if administered in high doses.
Bio
Rodrigo Woodhouse is a Mexican conductor and composer based in Graz, Austria. He was born in the small town of Cuernavaca, Morelos, where he grew up listening to different music styles and cultures. Outside on the street and in public transport he listened to folk and traditional music such as cumbia, son jarocho, banda and salsa. At home he listened mostly to classical music and with his friends rock and jazz music. Later in life he moved to Austria to study contemporary composition and choir conducting at the Music University. After finishing his Bachelor’s Degree in Conducting he did two private courses in Film Scoring. Since 2022 he has enrolled in the Music Masters Degree at the ArtEZ University. His musical background in jazz, classical, film, theatre and contemporary music makes him a versatile composer. His experience with choirs made him want to research the use of the voice in film music. The voice alongside percussion is one of the oldest musical instruments in mankind and yet it is still being used and treated in new ways. This is why Rodrigo’s research focuses on manipulating the sound of the voice in its entirety, from lyrical singing through to guttural noises and consonant sounds.
Rodrigo Woodhouse 