Thoughts on the meaning of poetry and music:
"I have always felt that poetry and music emanate from identical primal forces within the human psyche expressing intensely compressed emotive and intellectual revelations in the dimensions of language and of music. These complex distillations should also evoke strong responses in the listener." -Cody-
Background:
Judith Cody is a national award winning composer, poet and author who combined the two disciplines in her biography and reference book, "Vivian Fine: A Bio-Bibliography," 2002, Greenwood Press. Vivian Fine, an American modern music composer, is often called the matriarch of American music.
Cody has composed numerous chamber works for a range of instruments. Her music is structured around neo-romantic and neo-minimalist tones and chordal outlines. Living and studying music in the Orient influenced her music, as well as her love of both classical guitar and shamisen. Certain suggestions of Americanisms, such as jazz, and sometimes authentic folk references can be found in some of Cody's compositions juxtaposed with iconoclastic contemporary formations.
An area of special interest, is her desire to augment the classical guitar's modern music repertoire with compositions incorporating her experimental tones and methodology.
On occasion, she utilizes a particular poet, or perhaps, her own poetry as an instrument in a suitable composition. "Flute Poems," is just such a series, having won an award for composition.
Cody's award-winning poetry is also receiving nation-wide publication in numerous literary journals that include, among others: The New York Quarterly, The South Carolina Poetry Review, The Cumberland Review, Nimrod, Poet Lore, Primavera, Phoebe, and The Texas Review. Both her music and poetry has been anthologized in places such as the Anthology of Monterey Bay Poets, 2004, Words Upon the Waters, 2006, and Amphrichroia.
One of her poems, in English and in Spanish, together with its complete historical documentation is now in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution.
Read more about Vivian Fine & download free data sheets about her.
Contact Judith Cody here.