ABOUT NICK NORTON
Nick Norton is – like you – made from materials forged in the cores of stars. He was born in Los Angeles approximately 13.6 billion years after the universe and at least a few hundred thousand after vertebrates developed a system to interpret vibrating air as sound, and has been making music ever since. The LA Times describes his work as crazy, and NewMusicBox referred to his pieces as “visceral sonic haiku.”
At an early age Nick discovered that he got a seriously life-affirming kick out of certain arrangements of sound, so started making some by playing guitar and saxophone in bands. He studied composition in college at UC San Diego, then at L’ecole Normale de Musique de Paris, then in graduate school at King’s College, London and UC Santa Barbara – and in a whole bunch of garages, studios, apartments, backyards, beaches, mountains, bars, libraries, clubs, restaurants, forests, and deserts.
He’s been really lucky, because he’s had great teachers along the way, including Clarence Barlow, Curtis Roads, Andrew Tholl, Joel Feigin, Lei Liang, Robert Keeley, Rand Steiger, Chinary Ung, Harvey Sollberger, and Michel Merlet. He has also worked with George Benjamin and Sofia Gubaidulina.
Nick rejects the distinction between high and low forms of art, and is interested in creating new experiences for listeners from all backgrounds and destroying social barriers to enjoying music. He has a Chewbacca bobble head on his desk and wishes he had SPENT WAY TOO MUCH MONEY ON a Han Solo to go with it. He enjoys craft beer, sci fi, being in or near the ocean, and Oxford commas.
THE CREATIVES is an educational resource created for STARS OF DIFFERENT HUES, an outreach project started by new renaissance artist Elizabeth A. Baker, to make the tools and practitioners of experimental music and performance art accessible to school aged youth in the State of Florida.
These interviews by living artists each come with a creative challenge prompt for students and are short enough to be used within the classroom for K-12 students.
Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.
The Honourable Elizabeth A. Baker 