Electrifying Compositions

FIU alumnus Henry Vega ’99 creates a new musical language for international play list

By Sissi Aguila ’99, MA ’08

The crowd files in ready for a night of music; the curtain parts to a familiar silhouette: a man ready to perform. He reaches for his instrument and begins to type. Yes, type. Henry Vega ’99 is a trained composer, a classical guitarist and his instrument is the laptop.

Vega, a graduate of the School of Music, is an electroacoustic performer living in The Hague, Netherlands. He works with choreographers, theatre directors and video artists creating and programming new sounds with his computer.

Electroacoustic musicians such as Vega use the computer to create music that focuses less on rhythm, meter, harmony and melody than traditional compositions. Instead, they emphasize gestures and textures often by using speakers to manipulate sound within a space. This music has become more and more popular overseas with numerous conferences and festivals such as the International Computer Music Conference.

“We are at the frontier,” said Vega. “We’re still trying to create a stronger audience that looks for this music.”

Europe is the hub for this avant-garde musical art form, so Vega knew early on he wanted to be based there.

Vega’s music has received worldwide acclaim. He took first prize at Musica Nova in the Czech Republic, received an honorable mention from the Hungarian Radio EAR competition, and was awarded first prize at Queen’s University competition in the United Kingdom for his theatre piece Iminami at the Dragon’s Den.

After receiving his master’s in sonology from the Royal Conservatory’s Institute of Sonology in The Hague, Vega studied at the Sonic Arts Research Center in Belfast, United Kingdom. He returned to the Netherlands in 2008 and co-founded the trio Electronic Hammer. Vega, along with band mates Diego Espinosa and Juan Parra, performs percussion computer music in international venues such as Poland, Serbia, Cuba, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The trio recently released their first album, How to philosophize with a Hammer. On their Web site, the group describes their work as an attempt “to ask the hard musical questions without reservations or sensitivities; its (the album’s) only aim is to break the ground of the new medium with vision and precision in order to pick up the pieces and find a way forward.”

Their songs exemplify their vision for the future with innovative sounds not typically found in music. They conjure images of technology yet to exist. One song moves from a soft murmur to overwhelming resonance, while others challenge the listener with the juxtaposition of sounds.

Vega is currently working on a new CD of vocal music and computers titled The Worm Songs. The album is made up of original compositions and is in collaboration with his theatre group, The Spycollective.

Vega is living the life he always wanted, but admits that he was surprised when he accomplished his goals.

“When I first started college, I was torn between music and computer programming,” he said. “Professors Kristine Burns and Orlando Garcia introduced me to the hybrid of music and computers, which can connect in a creative end.”

Vega went on to major in music composition and classical guitar.

“The guitar was my link to tradition and history,” he explains. “There’s a huge connection between modern music and traditional music through the guitar.”

School of Music professor Orlando Garcia, a world-renowned composer himself, watched Vega’s music evolve during his time at FIU. In the beginning, Vega studied the classics but eventually found he couldn’t produce the music he wanted to on traditional instruments.

“I am very proud of the work that Henry is doing,” said Garcia. “While at FIU, he worked really hard to get to the point where he was comfortable with the music he was writing. He moved toward electronics to create sounds from scratch.”

Vega characterizes his approach as an old way of thinking about instrumental music. “Instruments traditionally mimicked the voice. I’d like to return to that instrumentally and electronically.”

After graduating from FIU, Vega obtained a master’s degree from the University of North Texas. There he learned about the Royal Conservatory and immediately set his sights overseas. Before making the move abroad permanent, he backpacked across Europe for months. At the Conservatory, he met his wife, Kasia Glowicka, a native of Poland. His parents, who are Colombian, were supportive from the beginning, even though no one in the family is musical.

Yet the transition wasn’t completely smooth. On Vegas’ first day in the Netherlands, he found himself lost in a strange town unable to communicate with anyone because he didn’t know Dutch. Vega decided to ask for help at the first restaurant he spotted. When he walked inside, Vega immediately noticed a Colombian flag draped across the back wall.

In disbelief, he asked, “Hablan español?” “Si,” responded a waiter.

Vega was reassured about his new home. The Hague, he found, is very diverse, much like Miami where he grew up.

The modern composer has spent his time abroad developing programming and musical skills for a new language in music. After years living, studying and working in Europe, he wants to bring his music back to Miami. “The language I have created came from my experience in Miami.”

Vega is also focused on making the computer a recognized stage instrument.

“When one of my pieces is performed, I’m on stage,” he said. “I have to be on stage. I’ve created music that demands I conduct it like chamber music. The audience literally sees the connection.”

To learn more about Henry Vega and Electronic Hammer’s music, click here. To purchase his new CD, click here.