A composer's works challenge the senses

A condition in which one type of sensory stimulation evokes sensation of another. Synesthesia means to mix up the senses - to taste shapes, smell sounds or feel sights. While Academy alumnus Jonathan Bailey Holland may not technically be a synesthete, his work clearly occupies the boundaries between senses. In his 2002 composition "Actions Rendered: Interpretations of Pollock," Holland compared his process to that of a visual artist.

"I organized sounds - harmonies, instrumental combinations - by the colors they represented to me," he said. Holland came to Interlochen from Flint, Michigan, as a trumpet major. He earned his bachelor's degree at the Curtis Institute of Music and his Ph.D. at Harvard University. Currently assistant professor of composition at the Berklee College of Music, Holland has been commissioned by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, among others. His music is both eclectic and technically polished. "I have found inspiration in everything from colors to works of visual art, music, poetry and nature," he said.

Though he names Aaron Copland, Benjamin Britten, and Dmitri Shostakovich among his favorite composers, Holland keeps his ears open for new artists. "My iPod holds music from Roger Sessions to Mary J. Blige to Miles Davis, Linkin Park and Lizz Wright," he said. "I like music that clearly communicates something, regardless of style."

Holland's affinity for a range of styles and art forms may have something to do with the time he spent at Interlochen. The nearly constant outpouring of concerts, exhibitions and plays at Interlochen gave Holland a fresh look at his own art. "The fact that these performances were all done by my peers, and at such a high level, was important as well," he said. "It gave me a sense of empowerment and motivation."

In 2006, Holland composed with another art form in mind - that of dance. Collaborating with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Holland set out to portray the evolution of black music. "Primary Movements," a thirty-minute-long ballet, takes listeners on a historical journey through several musical genres including African-inspired percussion, spirituals, Dixieland jazz, swing, funk and hip-hop.

Although Holland left the dance moves up to choreographer Allyne D. Gartrell, the project stayed true to the composer's artistic vision. "The music and dance meld seamlessly," Holland said. Whether employed to evoke color or to accompany movement, Holland's technique seems inherently to dwell at the intersection of musical and visual elements.

"Being a product of the TV and computer age," he said, "I often visualize that which I am attempting to recreate musically, and visual stimuli often influence my thematic or programmatic choices."

Holland is at once a traditionalist and an innovator, and has composed everything from tonal to twelve-tone music. "My goal as an artist is always to communicate effectively," he said. "As far as what form that will take in the future, I do not know."