This October I had the privilege of moderating a discussion between British composer and ordained Orthodox priest Fr. Ivan Moody and American composer Frank La Rocca, recently retired from teaching at Cal State – East Bay.  What was originally supposed to be two separate sessions, one on transcendence in music and the other on the use of ancient text in composition was collapsed into one.  I think this worked to our advantage, and we ended up having a wonderful discussion.  Hearing two experienced and successful composers talk about their faith and work was quite illuminating, and our differing backgrounds (Frank is Catholic and I am an evangelical Protestant) offered many interesting avenues to explore.  Also, kudos to the entire team at Biola’s Center for Christianity, Culture, and the Arts — the whole experience was very slick and professionally-run.  All in all, a fantastic experience!

Check at the video on the CCCA’s web page here or on Youtube: