Stephen F. Austin State University

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - East Texans interested in hearing an innovative concert of short, new musical compositions can attend "60 x 60," an electroacoustic project containing 60 electronic works, each 60 seconds in length. The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music will present the concert at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5, in the Music Recital Hall, Room 160 of the Wright Music Building.

Included in the program is "Captain Joht" by SFA composition major Mikel Butler, Gilmer sophomore. Butler's piece was selected from the entries to the 60x60 2007 competition sponsored by Vox Novus, an organization dedicated to the promotion of contemporary composers, their works, and those entities who sponsor contemporary music.

"We were notified in October that Mikel's piece would be included in the '2007/ Midwest Minutes Mix,'" said Stephen Lias, SFA associate professor of composition. "This is quite an accomplishment for a young composer."

"Captain Joht" was inspired by a short story Butler wrote while in middle school. It is number 49 of the 60 pieces included in the concert.

The "concert" is actually a recording that is being presented in venues across the country. The performance is played while a large synchronized analog clock is displayed on stage. At the top of each minute in the hour, a new composition is begun, Lias explained.

Thus far, "2007/Midwest Minutes Mix" has been presented in Alabama, Illinois, Kansas and Kentucky. Later in February, it will be performed in Alabama.

Admission to the concert is free. The Wright Music Building is located at 2210 Alumni Drive on the SFA campus. For more information, please call (936) 468-6407.