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Keith Donaghue

@kmdonaghue

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I posted a few weeks ago about a performance I had with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra New Chamber Series, playing a song of mine using the text of an e.e. Cummings poem. Link to video in bio.

And excitingly, this program will be played on air tomorrow at 2PM on 89.1. Signal can be fuzzy in certain South Jersey but can listen on their we page if interested.

Poem is called:

“next to of course god america i by @kmdonaghue

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a month ago

Link in bio! So many, many thanks to @harukafujiirice @kcs.bass & @rayofuruta for lending their talents and guidance to this piece.

Thanks also to my cohort fellows @harrygonzalezbe @elicomposer & @cmauro_music for your incredible musicianship and company (and cooking!)

Views from the River

To my mind, this piece opens with a low fog drifting
over a river, mountainous & slow. As I found myself
reflecting on that image, feelings of stillness, repose,
feelings of prayer, began to seep into the shape of the
piece. And I began to think of all the significance water
holds for us - how many cultures, peoples, eras, have
held a body of water to be sacred? Waters are a great
place to reflect.
And yet with reflection comes change: subtle
distortions of the original image as it flows through it’s
new medium. Were this piece to be ‘about’ something,
it’d be about holding both of these at once: balancing the
certainty of our experience, and the mystery of
interpreting it - the mystery of Faith. by @kmdonaghue

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a month ago

Wow! Hard to believe I haven't made a post about this yet.

Wayyy back in April 2024, I applied to Gabriela Lena Frank's Creative Academy of Music @glfcam, a lengthy and high caliber composition fellowship grounded in environmental awareness and community, among other values culminating in a professional recording of an original composition.

Its been an unbelievable privilege to undertake the 2+ years journey from application to premiere with these incredible people. Much love and thanks to the now Pulitzer-ed @gabrielalenafrank for all of her wisdom and generosity, and to my cohort fellows, and all of the performer mentors and staff who went into making it all happen.

Speaking of premiere! My newest piece will be available on YouTube this Wednesday (2 days). I will make another post linking to it.

Much love all,

(Pics from August 25, north California) by @kmdonaghue

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a month ago

Late Spring // Early Evening ft. Bao Zhong

(Taiwanese Oolong)

I try to spend as much time outdoors during these warm months as I can. Tea is always a deft accompanist by @kmdonaghue

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2 months ago

America 250… a complicated thing to celebrate, at any time but especially right now.

In a few hours the @allentownsymphony will perform a new chamber piece of mine, on a concert program centered on this theme. Around the time they announced this concert, I was reading a lot by the American poet ee cummings. The first read through of his satirical “next to of course god america i…” was enough for me to know that I’d be setting it to music, as it said better than I could how I felt about writing on such a topic.

The poem is theatrical, acrobatic, and unrelenting in its satirical treatment of excessive patriotism (or perhaps patriotism in general). I wanted to capture that drama and poignancy and wit in this intensely ironic work for piano trio + baritone. (No sound, but hope to post a recording at some point.)

Also, hello :) it’s been quite a while, and a lot has happened in the world since I’ve last been on here. I’ll be posting another update soon - in the meantime, I hope you are all taking care of yourselves. by @kmdonaghue

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4 months ago

Helloooooo every people. I am very excited, and very exhausted. But tomorrow I leave for @beardfestnj, where I'll be serving tea to any & all.

I've been attending Beard for 9 years (I think) and it's always a time to share oneself. It feels especially so this year, as @dionnarama and I have the opportunity to bring one of our most intimate pastimes to the fest - a great way to celebrate 1 year of starting Open door tea sessions (time!!!).

It's been an intense few months juggling a variety of projects that have pushed me in great ways. Our AC just went out during this heat wave. I’m still packing lmao. But I think of the love & calm that the temporary summer town of Beardfest brings into the world every year, and am truly, truly excited, and grateful to play a part.

Cheers! by @kmdonaghue

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a year ago

(Picture irrelevant, but happy holidays)

Greetings! Excited to share on here that the @allentownsymphony will be premiering a piece I had the incredible opportunity to co-write/orchestrate :D This will be my first time ever hearing a full symphonic orchestra play notes that I’ve given them - an opportunity that isn’t the easiest to come by and that has taken years of personal study to build up to.

This, plus some news I’m excited to share coming up, feels like a real culmination of all of the work I’ve put into both my self and music over the past few years. Thanks to all who contributed to the project, I’m looking forward to seeing many of you there this weekend.

Link for purchase in bio, or just head to Allentown Symphony’s website.
Saturday 4/26 @ 7:30pm
Sunday 4/27 @ 2:00pm

Also quick shoutout to @dionnarama for lending her birthday (4/27) to me this year😘 by @kmdonaghue

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a year ago

Hello again everyone! We are back and excited for another Open Door Tea after a small time away. Please message if you’d like to join us on Sunday, 3/16/25, 2pm - 6pm

Of course, we've still been drinking tea and having friends over. But the space that's created and shared when a wide mix of folks gets together is unique and has been missed these past two months. Especially given the palpable anxiety and frustration that is in the air right now, this type of community space feels needed and healthy, and we mean it when say, as always, friends & strangers welcome.

So - reach out, and we’ll see you soon for some chá and conversation 🍵🍵🍵 by @kmdonaghue

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a year ago

Hello again! Back with a special edition of Open Door Tea: For January, in the midst of the cold, we'd like to sit and reflect as a community on what will have been the first week of Donald Trump's 2nd presidency. It is an emotionally poignant time for us all, and no matter your feelings, I think that being together and expressing ourselves in a space dedicated to listening is a crucial next step.
⠀
There is limited room in our home, but as much as we can, we want to open up our doors to you, to feel all you need to feel, in community. On paper, over tea, through meditation and dialogue and communion, we hope to hold space for everything we've been feeling and thinking.
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In the end, we're all each other's care takers. Message us to join, & hope to see you soon. by @kmdonaghue

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2 years ago

Hello! Next edition of open door tea will embrace the holiday season by asking all who join us to bring something to share with the group: a story or a song, or something that you made or enjoy, anything you're fond of really.

Limited spots! Message if interested :) by @kmdonaghue

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2 years ago

New! I recently started a Youtube channel featuring my original works. Only a few videos so far, but I'm looking forward to this being a space where folks can see what I've been up to musically. I'm also planning on posting some video-essay type analyses on various topics in the near future, as well as transcriptions & arrangements I've made.

Link to page in bio!

This first post is an arrangement of a piece I originally wrote for trumpet studio. This specific project has been something I’ve wanted to do for a few years now, and when an opportunity to submit to a local string orchestra competition came up it finally made sense to do it. Would love to hear your thoughts! by @kmdonaghue

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2 years ago

Next T!

As always friends & strangers welcome

📷: @dionnarama from last months session. by @kmdonaghue

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2 years ago