Steven Rogers, Music Composer, Mind The Gap’s Scholarship Winner Spring 2016

Nothing gives us greater pleasure than awarding an artist producing music from the breezeway in their home. No expensive recording studio, well-renowned engineer or high powered record label had any hand in creating this very innovative music composition, Clouds, by Steven Rogers, a student at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, PA.

Mind The Gap Scholarship Program
Steven Rogers

This winner of the Mind The Gap Scholarship Program for Spring 2016 used a laptop computer with the digital audio workstation, Ableton. The sounds comprised samples of the human voice and piano along with other virtual synthesizers to create a work that is ambient yet other worldly.

…it passes like clouds

What I love about this composition is the use of certain sounds in non-traditional ways. For instance, the sample of the human voice, transposed down about an octave. It retains the air of a vocalist but it’s slowed down so much, due to the pitch shift, that the sound morphs over time as if it passes like “clouds”. Hence, the name of this work.

Steven, a communications major, envisions becoming a music performer and producer after he graduates. Even though he’s not currently in a band, he aspires to performing live and establishing himself as a recording artist.

Unlike many artists who find inspiration for their work from life experiences, good and bad, Steven finds his serendipitously. Basically, he follows his muse. Though he admits to failing to complete many initial recordings, he’s disciplined enough to finish fine compositions like Clouds that have resulted in this Scholarship award.

Take your dream and bring it down to earth

Passion and commitment is all you need to create. Even though formal training and expensive equipment can help, it’s ultimately the drive and dedication that takes your dream and brings it down to earth for others to experience and enjoy.

It’s our hope that the Mind The Gap Scholarship Program inspires, motivates and awards students, like Steven Rogers, to pursue their craft and perfect their art.

Congratulations, Steven!

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