Sunny Knable composer/performer/educator/author
Books, Essays, Presentations and Letters
Books
Author of "The Quarantine Chronicle of a Composer", 150 pp. Vision Edition, UK, 2022
A collection of 20 essays written and revised in quarantine. Subjects cover a vast array of interests, including: finding new passions and expressions; developing language to bridge the gap between musical dialects; the state of contemporary classical music; the loss and rebuilding of community; an exploration of new technical and emotional tools that are available for use in education; the loss of artistic opportunity and hope in the future; the search for contentment in the world of academia; amuse-bouches of the French language; personal revelations about the use of technology and the kinship of felines; wrestling with white-male privilege in the era of Black Lives Matter and Me Too; attempting to make a difference at the tail end of the Trump presidency; and the process of exiting quarantine. Accompanied with photos taken by the author during the COVID-19 pandemic, this collection is truly a chronicle of the times we lived in. As Sunny Knable writes in The Quarantine Chronicle of a Composer, “In the present, we are the ones gifted the opportunity to chronicle this time. Let us all take note of what we learned and take care of each other.”
Editor of Daniel Weymouth's "In Thrall", Vision Edition, UK, 2025
In Thrall is the vivid, multifaceted memoir of composer Daniel Weymouth: a compelling account of a life immersed in sound, curiosity, and connection. Moving seamlessly between sharp wit and deep reflection, Weymouth shares stories from a wide-ranging musical journey: from rhythm and blues gigs to electroacoustic experiments, orchestral scores to pedagogical insights. With humor, precision, and generosity, he reflects on the craft of composing, the unpredictability of teaching, and the unexpected ways music shapes a life. This is not just a book about music, but about what it means to be alive to creativity in all its forms.
Editor of "Looking Within: The Music of John Palmer"
400 pp., Vision Edition, UK, 2021
Comprising conversations with John Palmer and essays on aspects of his music by an impressive array of musicians and artists, Looking Within offers a kaleidoscopic view of this uniquely creative and inspirational composer. The breadth of Palmer’s output is covered by ten groups of topics ranging from opera to instrumental music, from electroacoustic to orchestral works, including the importance of poetic forms and the significance of dialectics as a living musical force. These dialogues and essays reveal Palmer carrying forth a modernist tradition as an inquiry into sound and the spiritual in music, infusing it not only with his own aesthetic ideals but with personal expressivity and an intense search for transcendence. Reading through the interviews, one feels face to face with the composer in deep conversation. Despite the breadth and variation of Palmer’s works, this book makes clear how all could originate from the same man. In a time when few composers are willing to go on record about their thoughts and positions in the field in fear of being pigeonholed, this book will become an important document for current and future listeners and performers of Palmer’s music.