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Music of Fred Steiner and Gerald Fried in Los Alamos
There's something uncanny about science fiction's screen lure. Whether in a movie house or on a home tube, sci-fi promises chills, thrills and perhaps a few spills - even if the site is Battlestar Galactica rather than the Old West or gangsterland Chicago.
But think a bit. It's not just Captain Kirk on the bridge of the Enterprise, Darth Vader swinging his light saber or Ripley taking on an alien hive that sets the futuristic scene and keeps the excitement keyed up. The musical score, expanding and commenting on the action, is a major player in the mix.
Ted Vives and the Los Alamos Community Winds pay tribute to the sci-fi score this weekend with a concert titled Heroes, Legends, and Adventures: A Sci-Fi Spectacle. And Vives, a fantastic fiction
fan ever since the B.E.M. era (Bug-Eyed Monsters, for those not in the know), finds it just his cup of Martian fat-worm soup.
"Ever since I first became involved in music in grade school, I've enjoyed the music used as background in television and film," he said from his Los Alamos home. "Having the opportunity to perform these (pieces) with a large ensemble was
a very nice opportunity."
Originally from Alabama, Vives studied at Florida State University in Tallahassee, where he received his bachelor's degree in music, and at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he took a master's and a doctorate. He has lived in Los Alamos since 2000 and currently teaches in the College of Santa Fe's contemporary music program.
"There's been a concert band in this area since the community was founded," he said, "but for the last few years there hasn't...