At NewMusicBox we make it a point to feature as much great new music as possible, so we thought it would be fun to start our own mix series, built from some of the new and recent recordings that travel across our desks, land in our inboxes and hook our ears out in the world.

As much as folks claim we should be open to a multiplicity of musical ideas and influences, the talk is not always being walked.

Hearing this much music in a relatively short span of time reminds me that the music I find to be the most satisfying possesses an effortless quality that I’ve never been able to completely pin down. It’s as if the music spontaneously erupted into being without any difficulty whatsoever.

The musical life of composer David Froom is steeped in a sense of community. As a self-described extrovert who derives energy and inspiration from the company of other composers and musicians, he has developed a strong circle of performers and music-making opportunities in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore area as well as in his St. Mary’s City, Maryland home.

“Do one thing everyday that scares you.”—Eleanor Roosevelt

About five months ago a new family member came to live with us—a stray cat that we have since named Longfellow. As it turns out, my efforts to care for him are also helping me keep my composing schedule on track.

“How much information does a composer working today attempt to convey to musicians through a written score?”

Kick & Ride proves an apt title for composer Eric Moe’s recent BMOP Sound release, highlighting his use of drum set and percussion throughout the three compositions represented. The high energy works, characterized by Moe in the liner notes as “cantankerous sisters,” indeed deliver shots of dramatic flair and suspenseful anxiety that could nearly persuade a listener to skip that all-important morning cup of coffee.

For me, the most successful music comes from the things in life that haunt me until I compose them out of my system. What is it that drives you to compose and/or perform music?

It’s time to celebrate the female composers who are here now, making music now.