Making those musical ‘connections’

Creativity is a hallmark of many artists, and this is definitely true for Jeffrey Peterson – whose original music composition earned him the 2015 Student Creative Arts Award by the Sonoma Fine Arts Commission.

The third time’s a charm for Peterson, a three-time entrant in the competition, which each year honors a student from Sonoma between the age 16 and 21.

“I’ve been trying for it for three years,” says Peterson, 21. “I was thinking this may have been my year.”

Each year, the city’s Fine Arts Commission recognizes a student with great talent and a great future in the arts – and Peterson is an artist in every sense of the word. After several years of trying and as many years of development, Peterson showed the commission his true artistry – his submission of musical compositions earned him the award, but luck had no part to play.

Still, this year’s applicants gave the Fine Arts Commission judges a difficult choice.

“It is almost impossible to pick one,” says Lisa Carlsson, commission chair.

But, she said, “Jeff definitely stood out.”

She said a large part of the commission’s decision is weighted by the question, “Is that person going to shine in what they love?”

Ultimately, the goal of the Student Creative Arts Award is to help local youth achieve their dreams in the arts.

“Art is much more than a pretty painting or a melodic song; it is a medium of creative expression,” Peterson says.

Peterson’s been playing piano since he was 5, eventually branching out into different instruments, including the trumpet. But in high school composition piqued his interest.

Peterson dabbled in music during his freshman and sophomore years, but it was difficult for him, as he was not greatly skilled in reading music. The game changer came in his junior year after acquiring his first digital music-writing software, which he says is a necessity these days when writing music.

Now, he’s a third-year undergrad at the University of the Pacific in Stockton and he is “pushing the boundaries” of music.

His musical pieces emphasize more than the instruments and the notes – how and where they are played have important roles.

His piece “Connections,” utilizes a technique called spatialization: instead of having an orchestra in front of the audience, an ensemble forms around the audience, surrounding them – literally – in music.

Peterson says he does this not just to create a musical effect - it adds a visual element to the piece.

“I do this to give the sense of an event,” he says. “If the performers were all up on stage we would perceive it as a piece of music. However, with the performers spread out, the audience becomes a part of the ensemble.”

Even though art and music compose a large part of his life, this artist keeps an open mind about the future. He’s been looking for internships for a year, though for a musician the right fit can be difficult to come by.

“The problem I have is there’s really nothing out there for us,” he says. “I won’t be doing what I want to do until about five to 10 years in the future.”

As a music theory and composition major, any job or internship remotely relating to music interests him.

Jeff is still considering graduate school and eventually pursuing a doctorate to become a university professor.

“Freelance composing is really what I’d like to do, but it’s not as realistic. I’m still up for grabs in terms of what I’m going to be doing,” he said. “The future is completely open for me.”

‘Art is much more than a pretty painting or a melodic song; it is a medium of creative expression.’

– Jeff Peterson