Dale Trumbore is a Los Angeles-based composer and writer whose music has been called “devastatingly beautiful” (The Washington Post). Her compositions have been performed worldwide by ensembles including Central West Ballet, Conspirare and the Miró Quartet, Los Angeles Master Chorale, National Youth Choir of Scotland, and Pasadena Symphony. She has written about establishing a career in music in essays and in two books, Composing a Living (co-written with Dr. Brandon Elliott) and Staying Composed.
Hi, I’m Dale Trumbore, a composer and writer based in Azusa, California. I’m sharing with you some of my personal “no skip” albums: the recordings I’ve turned to again and again throughout my life, often listening the entire way through. Many of these were also handed to me — literally, as a CD — or recommended by a friend, and I am handing them to you now. I hope that if you enjoy any one of these tracks, you’ll consider checking out the entire album as well.
“Spark,” from From The Choir Girl Hotel by Tori Amos
In 7th grade, my best friend at the time brought over a copy of Tori Amos’ Under the Pink and said, “I love this and you will, too.” And I did – but I loved Tori’s From the Choir Girl Hotel even more. “Spark” is the first track on this desert-island album. I’ve heard it hundreds of times, but I’m not tired of it yet, so what’s a few more hundred listens?
“Sunset and the Mockingbird,” from Ellington Suites by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra
In college, I was over at a friend’s house for dinner, and her dad handed me this album to borrow. He knew I was a composer and, if I’m remembering correctly, said something like “This will change your life.” He was right. The saxophone solo about two and a half minutes in is ecstatic and yearning, and I could listen to it forever. To me, this is one of the most perfect songs ever written.
“Fern Hill” by John Corigliano, from Fern Hill: American Choral Music, Performed by Kansas City Chorale
I sang “Fern Hill” in chorus my freshman year of college and used to fall asleep to the first minute or so of this album, pressing the “back” button on my CD player to hear the intro (with those wistful sevenths) again. John Corigliano was only 23 years old when he wrote this, which I found heartening as a naive 18-year-old composer. The selection of 20th-century choral repertoire and arrangements on this album is excellent.
“Katachi” from In Focus? by Shugo Tokumaru
Another friend recommended Tokumaru’s album In Focus? when my husband and I were about to drive around Colorado right after we got married. In my mind, this album is full of music for dancing or driving over snowy mountains in July.
“How Long Has This Been Going On?” from George & Ira Gershwin: Standards & Gems, by George and Ira Gershwin, Performed by Audra McDonald
My mom played musical theater on the piano and on various albums when I was growing up. At some point, I confiscated this album of hers, taking it into the black hole of my bedroom and playing Audra on repeat. My admiration for the Gershwins’ music runs deep, including Ira’s twisty, tricky wordplay, which I aim to emulate (and never quite get there) when I write my own lyrics.
Clocks, Op. 58: I. “Shelves full of clocks,” from El tiempo by Miguel del Águila
There’s a playful inventiveness to how Miguel del Águila approaches timbre, especially when he’s writing for strings. I fell in love with his Presto II for string quartet in high school but didn’t find this album until college. I’d play Clocks as I walked across campus from the music building to the English building. My two majors couldn’t have been further apart, but the long walk gave me more time to listen.
“Is There Anybody Out There?” from Sing to the Moon by Laura Mvula
At a show in L.A. a few months ago, after describing a recent breakup, Laura Mvula asked—rhetorically, I think—“What’s wrong with me?” and about twenty people in the audience shouted back in unison, “Nothing!” That’s how it feels to listen to her music. I have this theory that you could play Sing to the Moon in the background of any social gathering, and it would be the perfect album for that moment.
“Sawbones,” from FIBS by Anna Meredith
I saw Anna Meredith’s band in concert a few years ago after another friend pulled another “You’re going to love this” and told me to get a ticket. Her album FIBS rearranged my musical molecules; the way she conceives of timing and transitions breaks my brain in the best way. Now I’m the one suggesting her music to people and saying “this will change your life.”
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