Taking notes: Student’s unique compositions awarded

The Awards & Recognition section of Jeff Stanek’s resume reads like the complete list of honors available to student composers. At the age of 22, the music composition graduate student has already garnered 13 accolades for writing music, including two prestigious BMI Student Composer Awards and first prize at the CEMJKO International Electroacoustic Music Contest. \nThis collection of honors seems to have no effect on Stanek, who describes them as subjective.\n“I’m not really proud of my awards,” Stanek said. “I just happen to be lucky. And I happen to be unlucky other times, too.”\nWhether or not these awards result from mere luck, Stanek has had years to earn them. \nStanek said he first became involved in music by taking piano lessons around third grade. Though he grew bored of the instrument and quit for a while, he came back to the piano and in middle school, picked up the cello as well.\nDespite playing these two instruments, Stanek decided to devote his life to composing instead. \n“I was writing my own little things when I began piano,” Stanek said. “It was something I liked to do.”\nNow at IU, a musical environment he called “open-minded” and “friendly,” Stanek is turning this source of enjoyment into a career. Still, he said he must continuously combat writer’s block, but composes when inspiration hits.\n“I found that routine doesn’t really work for me,” Stanek said. “Afternoon hours are usually when I’m most productive. In the morning I’m a little bit groggy. In the evening I want a little downtime.” \nChoosing which notes to write down on paper is another matter. While Stanek said he wishes he had an easy answer to where his inspiration comes from, a lot of his music comes from emotion. He said he also thinks often in terms of words and poetic images, though they are not direct motivations. \n“It’s sort of like doing a paper or reading a book,” Stanek said. “The book gives you an idea of what you want to write about, but until you back it up, it’s not going anywhere.”\nPer Martensson, visting professor of composition, had his own views on Stanek’s composing style. Martensson said Stanek is a romantic in the core philosophical sense.\n“(His compositions) speak about some kind of desire to go beyond the actual (musical) score,” Martensson said. \nAdam Schweigert, a fellow graduate student studying composition, said Stanek is a friendly guy who is really supportive of everyone’s work. \n“I see him at pretty much every concert I go to,” Schweigert said. \nSix performances of Stanek’s compositions will take place this month, giving him more opportunities to be recognized. For Stanek and other abstract-centered composers, these concerts offer increased exposure to the composer profession. \n“I think the general public is not aware of composers in general,” Stanek said. “It’s like abstract art, except without the pressure to appreciate it.”