Selected Reviews

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How the Hell Are You Feeling?

"Kristi McGarity’s How the Hell are You Feeling? is a breath of fresh air. This is music with a physical presence and the balance and orchestral colours achieved by composer and performers is a revelation. Pizzicato, harmonics, arco, golpe, con legno, rasgueado, glissandi are put in a blender and set on high – we no longer care if the resulting sonic gems are being produced by Gould’s fingernail or Schneider’s horsehair!" -- Michael Dias, Classical Guitar Canada

"Their name, Duo46, comes from the strings on their instruments (four and six). Their mission is new music - edgy, cutting-edge, over-the top. Their commissioning project has not only created a unique niche, but it also has added substantially to the repertoire of violin music with guitar. Take the piece "How the Hell are You Feeling?'' by Kristi McGarity - a tour de force of extremes in both instruments, searing glissandos and rhythmic taps on the guitar case" -- Janelle Gelfand, Cincinnati Enquirer, August 28, 2003

"The improvisatory, almost jazzy feel of Kristi McGarity's How the Hell are You Feeling? shows the players in their element, particularly in the heartfelt romancing of the central movement. . . . It is a testimony to the sheer imaginative drive and inspiration of Schneider and Gould that the works commissioned for the disc are so varied, inventive and enjoyable, and that they are performed with such commitment and flair." -- Catherine Nelson, The Strad, June 2003

"The combination of violin and guitar is eminently portable and begs for music that is similarly versatile, both technically and stylistically. Guitarist matt Gould and violinist beth Ilana Schneider-Gould, Americans now based in Cyprus, certainly rise to the challenge in this collection, which showcases a handful of mostly thirty-something composers who have no problems seamlessly integrating the two instruments in a way that smoothes over any residual stylistic baggage. Whereas most pieces for this combination fall at polar extremes - either creating musical statements that neglect to incorporate the essence of the instruments, or empty displays of idiomatic virtuosity that forget entirely about making music - the composers commissioned by Duo46 can write serious music while letting the guitar sound like a guitar. Part of the advantage is brevity. No piece in this collection goes on for more than eight minutes, and the result is one of intense concision rather than scarcity of ideas. . . Kristi McGarity's cheeky suite, 'How the Hell are You Feeling?', twists its chromatic motive in three distinct movements. . . . The real success of this recording lies in the duo's fiery performances, which always seems to have plenty of fury left to unleash, especially when the music seems calm on the surface." -- Ken Smith, Gramophone, April 2003

Tech Support:

"The finale, 'Tech Support/The Next Release,' was perhaps most significant, in light of Y2Kand spreading computer viruses. Composed by Kristi McGarity and choreographed by Alexandra Warn, the 'musical poem' fused the sounds of various recognizable office machines with narration about the insanity of dependence on the computer.

The five dancers operated like parts of each machine, often running smoothly, then breaking down in 'fatal errors' as computers often do. The piece nails software producers for including snags that can only be fixed by purchasing the newest annual program.

McGarity makes headway on the path forged by performance artist Laurie Anderson. . .a rising star to watch."

--Joshua Fischer, "Get Connected: Rare Music Joins Bizarre Movement," Daily Texan 8 April 1999

"Kristi McGarity's 'Tech Support' effectively matched a witty story with a highly effective tape part." --SCI Newsletter, April/May 2000

"Tech Support by Kristi McGarity ended the concert with an hilarious take on office machines."

--Adrian Moore, "A Personal Reflection on SEAMUS Y2K"

Opposite Day:

"Two female vocals intertwine heavenly. . . a double-barrelled Ann Arbor answer to Laurie Anderson, made palatable to the pop listener."

--Jam Rag, 1 Feb 1995

"Local Ann Arbor techno/house release with lots of ambience, cool beats and a couple of undeniable hooks. This musical style usually bores the BeCobains out of me, but Opposite Day actually kept me listening."

--Jam Rag, 1 Mar 1995

"The 10 electronic music and dance pieces on display inside the Payne theater ranged widely in quality. Some standouts were Joseph Harchanko's mystical and alluring collaboration with Kristin Marokus, "From a Dream to a Vision/Weave"; David Hainsworth's "Scatter"; and Kristi McGarity's sassy resurrection of a 1992 pop tune, "Billy Ray."

--Michael Huebner, "Composer steps on the gas in UT Recital," Austin American-Statesman 10 May 2000

Three E.E. Cummings Poems:

"You can tell a lot about a choral composer by his or her choice of words and the musical response to those words. Austin ProChorus neatly illustrated this axiom Friday at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, showcasing seven of the state's music makers in 'A Tribute to Texas Composers.' . . . . Kristi McGarity of Austin tackled the precisely constructed jumble of e.e. cummings by breaking lines into parts or repeating and overlaying phrases."

--Michael Huebner, "ProChorus Blooms during Wildflower Center concert," Austin American-Statesman 30 April 2001