Arcadia

In 2020, Disney made a documentary series called Into the Unknown about the making of Frozen 2 and near the end of one of the early episodes, the directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck go into the orchestral recording sessions for documentary’s namesake. If I remember correctly, the process was really chugging at that point and there were many questions and problems stacking up and … Continue reading Arcadia

Lighthouse Music II (SNES Edition)

Hey everyone, After an incredibly intense few months of composing and prepping for the ASU premiere of Arcadia (post about that coming soon), I’ve been reconnecting with some of my favourite pieces of music and, to be honest, finding my way back to ones from SNES. So, here’s a short burst of some of my faves: 1) “Close to Home” from Uncharted Waters: New Horizions … Continue reading Lighthouse Music II (SNES Edition)

Morgun – Ten Years Later

I’m currently away in Saskatoon conducting the 2024 Saskatchewan Senior Honour Band, but I wanted to reflect on a commission that premiered ten years ago today; one that is, quite probably, my wildest commission to date. It was on a warm summer day in 2013 that I was asked to come to meet up with a lady named Janice Arnason, who was had been my … Continue reading Morgun – Ten Years Later

ITF 2024!

Hey everyone, Dr. Nora Wilson and I will be at the International Trombone Festival 2024 in Fort Worth, TX this weekend for the premiere of my new piece, Arcadia Trombonica, performed by Nora herself! It’s going to be amazing and we hope to see you there! If you heard the piece and would like to purchase it, you can do so here! Continue reading ITF 2024!

Music Ed Monday – Contributing

I feel like I’m seeing a lot about “journeys” lately—weight-loss journeys, wellness journeys, etc. I’ve been reflecting on the burnout that I felt through most of the last few years and I’ve been reframing it as a “burnout journey,” which feels right to me. For most of 2022 and 2023, I had no vitality, and I use that word really specifically. I think of vitality … Continue reading Music Ed Monday – Contributing

Four Zero (Looking Back)

It’s December 30th, 2023. It’s the day before my 40th birthday. I reflect on things quite a lot – sometimes for good, sometimes to my own detriment – and I find myself thinking back about my last decade, particularly the creative aspects of it. The teaching part was generally really great, but I’m not going to focus on that here. Let’s dig into the decade … Continue reading Four Zero (Looking Back)

Prairie Sunset and Icelandic Folk Song Suite No. 2 [IN PRINT!]

Hey everyone, I hope your fall has been cruising along swimmingly. My two WASBE competition winners, “Prairie Sunset” (Level 2) and “Icelandic Folk Song Suite No. 2” (Level 4) are out in print this weekend! You can pick them up here: Prairie Sunset: https://www.wasbe.online/product/prairie-sunset-by-keneley-kristofferson-canada Icelandic Folk Song Suite No. 2: https://www.wasbe.online/product/icelandic-folk-song-suite-no-2-by-keneley-kristofferson-canada Continue reading Prairie Sunset and Icelandic Folk Song Suite No. 2 [IN PRINT!]

Winning the WASBE Competition

In my mind, it was so unlikely that I almost couldn’t believe it when the results were announced. When thinking about competitions, I often remind myself about American composer Eric Whitacre’s blog post about the topic. In short: You won’t win, but throwing your hat in the ring will have other creative, emotional, and professional benefits – but you won’t win. When I got an … Continue reading Winning the WASBE Competition