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This contemplative piece by composer Pascal Le Boeuf explores the theme the morality of eavesdropping and the following verses:
Ecclesiastes 7:21 ESVDo not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Luke 12:3 ESVTherefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. 1 Corinthians 5:12 ESVFor what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?

Ecclesiastes 7:21

outside listenINg

By 

Pascal Le Boeuf

Credits: 

Curated by: 

Ashley Gonzalez Daneman and Benje Daneman

2014

Image by Giorgio Trovato

Primary Scripture

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As an atheist I consider the Bible to be an inspirational work of art. A work of art that has moved enough people to define many aspects of western culture or at the very least, the framework upon which many choose to base their goals, social behaviors and self-conceptions. I am proud to be a part of a project that builds a community through creative expression.


The composition "outside listenINg" explores the moral implications of eavesdropping by using piano and string quartet to represent the subject and the eavesdropper respectively. This analogy is accentuated by disparate approaches to recording production in which each part functions as a separate composition: the "subject" a new original work and the "eavesdropper" derived from the string part of an earlier composition ("Calgary Clouds" from the Le Boeuf Brothers' album, "In Praise of Shadows"). The goal of this piece is to guide the listener to question the morality of eavesdropping and how it effects our daily lives.

Spark Notes

The Artist's Reflection

Described as “sleek, new” and “hyper-fluent” by the New York Times, Pascal Le Boeuf is an EMMY award-winning pianist-composer and electronic artist whose interests range from modern improvised music to cross-breeding classical with production-based technology. Le Boeuf’s most recent awards include his eighth Herb Albert ASCAP Young Composers Award (2013) and a New Jazz Works Commission from Chamber Music America (2011) to be recorded in 2014 by JACK Quartet. In 2012, his music was awarded “Best Electronica Song” and “Best Eclectic Song” by the Independent Music Awards for remixes of his compositions. He was also nominated for “Best Keyboardist” in the 2012 Downbeat International Readers Polls, composed music for the 2008 Emmy Award-winning movie King Lines, and won first place in the 2008 International Songwriting Competition.


Le Boeuf has released eight albums as a leader; his most recent, King Pony (2014) features collaborations with rock guitarists Billy Norris (Gavin DeGraw), Adam Levy (Norah Jones) and Armand Hirsch (Bobby McFerrin). Previous albums include House Without a Door (2009), In Praise of Shadows (2011) and Remixed (2013) – the acclaimed electronic follow-up to In Praise of Shadows featuring the Le Boeuf Brothers ensemble. The 2013 release of Pascal’s Triangle (Linda Oh, bass; Justin Brown, drums) was described by the New York Times as “reaching for the gleaming cosmopolitanism of our present era.”


In 2010, Le Boeuf made his Blue Note debut opening for Chick Corea as part of the Blue Note Emerging Artist Series. His many collaborators include the the Myth Quartet, Ambrose Akinmusire, Justin Brown, Harish Raghavan, Ian Rosenbaum and Andy Akiho; choreographers Ernest Felton Baker II and Raymond Pinto; and poet/lyricists Jane Resnick, James Sprang, Emily Greene and Kate Davis. In collaboration with Emmy/Grammy nominated composer David Schwartz of the hit television series Arrested Development, Le Boeuf’s music was featured on NBC’s 2011 drama The Playboy Club. His compositions have been performed and featured by members of Bang on a Can All-Stars, JACK Quartet, Turtle Island Quartet, Sirius Quartet, RighteousGIRLS, Downtown Avengers, Imagine Dragons, Foundry and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Two.


In 2010 and 2011, Le Boeuf was commissioned by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts to compose music for a multi-interdisciplinary performance (music/words/video/dance) at the the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, FL to honor Bill T. Jones, Desmond Richardson, Kerry Washington and Liv Ullmann. Loosely based on writings and themes of Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copeland respectively, these compositions highlighted live music performers in conjunction with computer manipulated recordings of the performers, scored recordings of Bernstein/Copeland speaking about music, and directed improvisation based on dance.


His unique style and musical inspiration stem from exploring many genres of music, helping him challenge the boundaries of composition. Over the past five years, he has received grants from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, Chamber Music America and the New York Community Trust via the Edward & Sally Van Lier Fellowship Grant.


The multi-rhythmic sound of Le Boeuf’s music has reached a diverse range of listeners in venues such as the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the DiMenna Center for Classical Music, the Monterey Jazz Festival, and the Umbria Jazz Festival. His music can be heard on Universal/Alma Records, Nineteen-Eight Records, ESC Records, FrameMusic and Capri Records. Le Boeuf received his B.M. and M.M. (with honors) from the Manhattan School of Music and double-majored in Electronic Production/Design, and Songwriting at the Berklee College of Music. Principle teachers include Kenny Barron, Garry Dial and Theo Bleckmann. As an educator, Le Boeuf has served on faculty at the Manhattan School of Music Summer Program, the Stanford Jazz Workshop and functioned as co-director of the 1990 Institute in Beijing, China.



Pascal Le Boeuf

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Pascal Le Boeuf

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