Tri-Cycle
This piece was originally written as non-pitched rhythms for percussion and I decided to rewrite it for a larger ensemble. Performed by the Mills College Contemporary Performance Ensemble; Steed Cowart, conductor; Charity Chan, piano; Sarah Denes, trombone; Karl A.D. Evangelista, electric guitar; Jordan Glenn, percussion; Eric Glick Rieman, piano; Danishta Rivero, voice; David Roache, flute; Regina Schaffer, piano; Christopher M. Skebo, C trumpet; Devon Thrumstom, cello
Sonic Vibe
This composition is an etude on extended techniques for the vibraphone. I composed it for Jeff's junior recital at Wayne State University. Performed by Jeffrey Skebo, vibraphone.
Idiosyncratic
This piece was composed for Natalie Soave and her dancers at Wayne State University. The dance was about people and their "ticks" or habits. This is the performance recording.
Performers: Christopher M. Skebo - prepared guitar, piano; Jeffrey Skebo - percussion; Michael Skebo - tenor sax
Seven Rumsfeld Songs - I.The Author
Mark Verstraete and Roman Laba performing "Seven Rumsfeld Songs" at it's premier on March 28th 2007 in the Schaver Recital Hall on the campus of Wayne State University.
Seven Rumsfeld Songs - II. Rules
Mark Verstraete and Roman Laba performing "Seven Rumsfeld Songs" at it's premier on March 28th 2007 in the Schaver Recital Hall on the campus of Wayne State University.
Seven Rumsfeld Songs - II. Gerbil - IV. Needless to Say
Mark Verstraete and Roman Laba performing "Seven Rumsfeld Songs" at it's premier on March 28th 2007 in the Schaver Recital Hall on the campus of Wayne State University.
Seven Rumsfeld Songs - V. Uh Oh
Mark Verstraete and Roman Laba performing "Seven Rumsfeld Songs" at it's premier on March 28th 2007 in the Schaver Recital Hall on the campus of Wayne State University.
Seven Rumsfeld Songs - VI. Unanimity
Mark Verstraete and Roman Laba performing "Seven Rumsfeld Songs" at it's premier on March 28th 2007 in the Schaver Recital Hall on the campus of Wayne State University.
Seven Rumsfeld Songs VII. End Zen -VIII. Final Poem
Mark Verstraete and Roman Laba performing "Seven Rumsfeld Songs" at it's premier on March 28th 2007 in the Schaver Recital Hall on the campus of Wayne State University.
Das Ratsel von Adolf Hitler
My love for history is what spawned this composition. I have a special attraction to Europe during the early 20th century, and what better character to use than that of the Chancellor of Germany. This piece was actually composed to accompany film footage that Mark Verstraete and I compiled of Hitler and the Third Reich. This piece is scored for: electric violin with guitar effects, piano, Roland Fantom X8 keyboard, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals , bowed crystal glasses and tubular bells. This recording was done live at the world premiere on March 30th 2005 and was performed by the Chris Skebo Ensemble.
Variation for Toy Piano
This composition was written for the First Annual Wayne State University Composers Recital on November 15, 2004 The concept behind this concert was that our composition professor, Dr. James Hartway, would write a theme and then his composition students would each write a variation on the theme. I was very fascinated by John Cage’s compositions for toy piano, and I was looking for a was to use one in a composition of mine; I guess timing is everything. When we came up with the idea for this concert, I was finally presented with the opportunity to use it. I went to my local Toys-R-Us and found exactly what I was looking for. A few modifications need to be made to the piano so that we could perform with it properly; such as a set of hinges added to the lid so that the sound could project and the keys needed to be lowered so that the attack could be more dynamic. I was most pleased with the results. This recoding was done live at the premiere performance on November 15, 2004 and was performed by Mark Verstraete.
Troubles in the Night
This composition is rooted in my obsession with the writings of the late Charles Bukowski. This poem comes from his posthumous book of poetry: Open All Night. The text has to do with a man (or in my case, a woman) and his hatred for Tchaikowski's Symphony No 6. I scored this composition for: Mezzo-soprano voice, Bb Clarinet, Piano and Drums. This recording was done live at the world premiere on March 29, 2006 and was performed by the Chris Skebo Ensemble featuring Rebecca Boucher - Mezzo-soprano and Seth Larson - Bb Clarinet.
Variation X
This composition was written for the Second Annual Wayne State University Composers Recital on November 14, 2005. For this variation I decided to experiment a bit with turntables and guitar effects, as well as a performance in surround-sound. 5 speakers were setup around the perimeter of the audience, so that the audience would be completely emerged in the sound. The sound emerging through the speakers were those of the 5 turntables ( one table per speaker) and the amplified clarinet with guitar effects (through all 5 speakers). This recording was done live at the world premier on November 14, 2005 and features Joe O’Kelly - Bb Clarinet and Mark Verstraete - Turntables.
Lt. Columbo
This chart was written as a commission from Steve Shelton for his senior music technology project at Wayne State University. I always enjoyed the detective and police shows on T.V. when I was younger, so I decided to write a scene from a show like that. The only thing that I could picture while listening to this was Columbo so consequently the composition took the name. I decided to keep the instrumentation on the smaller side: alto and tenor saxes, two trumpets, two trombones and the rhythm section. This recording is the studio recording done by Steve Shelton for his project; please note that the original recording was done in 5.1 surround-sound. The recording was performed by: Mike Skebo Tenor and Alto Saxes, Kyle Hanley - Trombone, James Anthony - Guitar, Mark Verstraete - Organ, Jeff Skebo - Drums, Mike Rais - Upright Bass and Chris Skebo - Trumpet and Rhythm Guitar.
This piece was originally written as non-pitched rhythms for percussion and I decided to rewrite it for a larger ensemble. Performed by the Mills College Contemporary Performance Ensemble; Steed Cowart, conductor; Charity Chan, piano; Sarah Denes, trombone; Karl A.D. Evangelista, electric guitar; Jordan Glenn, percussion; Eric Glick Rieman, piano; Danishta Rivero, voice; David Roache, flute; Regina Schaffer, piano; Christopher M. Skebo, C trumpet; Devon Thrumstom, cello
Sonic Vibe
This composition is an etude on extended techniques for the vibraphone. I composed it for Jeff's junior recital at Wayne State University. Performed by Jeffrey Skebo, vibraphone.
Idiosyncratic
This piece was composed for Natalie Soave and her dancers at Wayne State University. The dance was about people and their "ticks" or habits. This is the performance recording.
Performers: Christopher M. Skebo - prepared guitar, piano; Jeffrey Skebo - percussion; Michael Skebo - tenor sax
Seven Rumsfeld Songs - I.The Author
Mark Verstraete and Roman Laba performing "Seven Rumsfeld Songs" at it's premier on March 28th 2007 in the Schaver Recital Hall on the campus of Wayne State University.
Seven Rumsfeld Songs - II. Rules
Mark Verstraete and Roman Laba performing "Seven Rumsfeld Songs" at it's premier on March 28th 2007 in the Schaver Recital Hall on the campus of Wayne State University.
Seven Rumsfeld Songs - II. Gerbil - IV. Needless to Say
Mark Verstraete and Roman Laba performing "Seven Rumsfeld Songs" at it's premier on March 28th 2007 in the Schaver Recital Hall on the campus of Wayne State University.
Seven Rumsfeld Songs - V. Uh Oh
Mark Verstraete and Roman Laba performing "Seven Rumsfeld Songs" at it's premier on March 28th 2007 in the Schaver Recital Hall on the campus of Wayne State University.
Seven Rumsfeld Songs - VI. Unanimity
Mark Verstraete and Roman Laba performing "Seven Rumsfeld Songs" at it's premier on March 28th 2007 in the Schaver Recital Hall on the campus of Wayne State University.
Seven Rumsfeld Songs VII. End Zen -VIII. Final Poem
Mark Verstraete and Roman Laba performing "Seven Rumsfeld Songs" at it's premier on March 28th 2007 in the Schaver Recital Hall on the campus of Wayne State University.
Das Ratsel von Adolf Hitler
My love for history is what spawned this composition. I have a special attraction to Europe during the early 20th century, and what better character to use than that of the Chancellor of Germany. This piece was actually composed to accompany film footage that Mark Verstraete and I compiled of Hitler and the Third Reich. This piece is scored for: electric violin with guitar effects, piano, Roland Fantom X8 keyboard, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals , bowed crystal glasses and tubular bells. This recording was done live at the world premiere on March 30th 2005 and was performed by the Chris Skebo Ensemble.
Variation for Toy Piano
This composition was written for the First Annual Wayne State University Composers Recital on November 15, 2004 The concept behind this concert was that our composition professor, Dr. James Hartway, would write a theme and then his composition students would each write a variation on the theme. I was very fascinated by John Cage’s compositions for toy piano, and I was looking for a was to use one in a composition of mine; I guess timing is everything. When we came up with the idea for this concert, I was finally presented with the opportunity to use it. I went to my local Toys-R-Us and found exactly what I was looking for. A few modifications need to be made to the piano so that we could perform with it properly; such as a set of hinges added to the lid so that the sound could project and the keys needed to be lowered so that the attack could be more dynamic. I was most pleased with the results. This recoding was done live at the premiere performance on November 15, 2004 and was performed by Mark Verstraete.
Troubles in the Night
This composition is rooted in my obsession with the writings of the late Charles Bukowski. This poem comes from his posthumous book of poetry: Open All Night. The text has to do with a man (or in my case, a woman) and his hatred for Tchaikowski's Symphony No 6. I scored this composition for: Mezzo-soprano voice, Bb Clarinet, Piano and Drums. This recording was done live at the world premiere on March 29, 2006 and was performed by the Chris Skebo Ensemble featuring Rebecca Boucher - Mezzo-soprano and Seth Larson - Bb Clarinet.
Variation X
This composition was written for the Second Annual Wayne State University Composers Recital on November 14, 2005. For this variation I decided to experiment a bit with turntables and guitar effects, as well as a performance in surround-sound. 5 speakers were setup around the perimeter of the audience, so that the audience would be completely emerged in the sound. The sound emerging through the speakers were those of the 5 turntables ( one table per speaker) and the amplified clarinet with guitar effects (through all 5 speakers). This recording was done live at the world premier on November 14, 2005 and features Joe O’Kelly - Bb Clarinet and Mark Verstraete - Turntables.
Lt. Columbo
This chart was written as a commission from Steve Shelton for his senior music technology project at Wayne State University. I always enjoyed the detective and police shows on T.V. when I was younger, so I decided to write a scene from a show like that. The only thing that I could picture while listening to this was Columbo so consequently the composition took the name. I decided to keep the instrumentation on the smaller side: alto and tenor saxes, two trumpets, two trombones and the rhythm section. This recording is the studio recording done by Steve Shelton for his project; please note that the original recording was done in 5.1 surround-sound. The recording was performed by: Mike Skebo Tenor and Alto Saxes, Kyle Hanley - Trombone, James Anthony - Guitar, Mark Verstraete - Organ, Jeff Skebo - Drums, Mike Rais - Upright Bass and Chris Skebo - Trumpet and Rhythm Guitar.
