ON MUSIC WRITING
by
Armando Susmano, M.D.
Delivered to The Chicago Literary Club
January 27th, 2003
This paper describes the tantalizing story related after dinner by one friend (the host) to another, about the magic predictions of a former cardiac patient, and the host's concerns about future studies during retirement.
It describes the kind of composer the host wishes to be, the travails and tribulations encountered as a student of musical composition, and the intricacies of the rules, laws, and regulations that govern the writing of tonal music, as well as the background stories and comments behind each of several compositions he wrote until the time he decided to write a work for orchestra.
The story is autobiographical and the music heard during the paper was composed by the author.
BIOGRAPHY Dr. Armando Susmano was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and graduated from the University of Buenos Aires Medical School in December 1955.
He came to the United States in 1961, where he completed training in Internal Medicine and Cardiology at Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center. He has been on the staff of that hospital working as an invasive cardiologist since 1968. He retired in January 1997, and is currently Emeritus Cardiologist and Associate Professor of Medicine at Rush Medical College.
He is a member of many medical societies. He received teaching awards at Rush Medical College and is also an Honorary AOA member.
He has lectured in the United States and abroad, and has published 31 medically related papers in peer reviewed journals.
Since his retirement, he has produced two CD's of piano solo playing of tangos and, a year ago, he published a book of poetry in Spanish.
Since 1997, he has been a student of composition at the Music Institute of Chicago (Winnetka) and has written works for piano, violin, cello, and guitar.
Tonight's paper is his second at the Chicago Literary Club.