welcome!
Keith Lay, composer
Work & Ideas
Music • Sound • Science • Spirit
In-development Projects & Events
The 16th National Young Composers Challenge COMPOSIUM
The Challenge is simple. First, you write your own composition for small ensemble (2 to 6 instruments) or full orchestra. Then, a panel of judges chooses the top three orchestral and top three ensemble compositions to be performed and recorded by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra at the NYCC Composium held at the Dr. Phillips ...
A new version of Earth Caoine (Earth Cry) for OCCO
Earth Caoine (Cry) is a wail of loss for the planet, written for Richard Stoltzman in 1995-6 and recorded in Warsaw, Poland for MMC Recordings in 1996. I am creating a new arrangement of this work for Jessica Hall Speak and the Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra. This concerto for clarinet and ...
Distance Music Documentary: The First Ten Years
Distance Music: The First Ten Years I am culling a documentary out of the hours of concert footage and development videos to tell the story of "Distance Music." A massive project, I hope to complete it before the end of 2025. The following videos are examples a fraction of the footage ...
Tree Music
Imagine each tree in a grove contributing a unique voice to a dynamic, living symphony: each tone being a result of mapping sap flow, water content, energy flow, and more, to a specific sonic component. How would each tree respond to the sun emerging from behind a cloud? to an ...
The Flower of Life Studio Sessions
The music from my June 15th's "The Flower of Life I" was recorded with its premiering ensemble, The Brass Band of Central Florida under its Musical Director, Gareth Pritchard by engineer Meredith Douglas at Full Sail University's"Audio Temple". The band hopes to return to the studio this spring for The ...
Keith Lay WORKS & Events Past
• 2025 •
FUTURE NATURE
Art imitates spirit—which is the energy of being alive. Limited only by our receptivity, it catalyzes change and reframes experience as it courses through our senses, emotions, and identity. In Future Nature, Sinuhé Vega Negrin’s lush tropical plant life and layered, contemplative totems invite us ...
Deep Listening® Orlando 2025
Deep Listening is a composer’s sound practice devised by the legendary composer and thought leader, Pauline Oliveros (1932-2016). It is open to everyone and devised to serve and expand our well-being, especially for those drawn to music and sound. In 2025, I led the last three ...
• 2024 •
GIG Podcast With Mike Redman
Mike Redman is a well established music composer of the Orlando area - a very musical gent who composed for the Disney theme parks. More recently, he has interviewed and written about the qualities of personality found in successful individuals within the Film and Music ...
The Flower of Life @ Full Sail University
What is distance music and what is so special about this piece ? Distance Music defies conventional descriptions. It's not just a music event, but an interactive journey, akin to a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). By meticulously arranging where instruments are placed in ...
Lasting Impressions with The Ft. Worth Symphony
Lasting Impressions in 3D is a world-touring media experience starring tenor Adam Fisher, live orchetra and brilliant new concert hall-sized visual technology. Designed by Ed Kasses with support from Sophie Renoir, the audience experiences an incredible multidimensional journey into the original paintings of the major ...
The 15th National Young Composers Challenge COMPOSIUM
The Challenge is simple. First, you write your own composition for small ensemble (2 to 6 instruments) or full orchestra. Then, a panel of judges chooses the top three orchestral and top three ensemble compositions to be performed and recorded by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra at the ...
America’s Wonders The Augusta Symphony
America's Wonders A 3D and Musical Adventure Exploring America's National Parks and Exciting Cities is a unique cinematic and musical celebration, giving audiences the opportunity to see striking 3D film by McGillvray & Freeman while an orchestra takes them on a journey through America.During the first ...
Children On The Playground in Brno Czech Republic
My award winning Violin Concerto for Strings, "Children On The Playground" was performed in Brno, Czech Republic by a new, young violinist Martin Pavlik and the Orchestra / conductor who recorded it in 2022: The Brno Contemporary Chamber Orchestra under Pavel Snadjr. This concert was made ...
Deep Listening® Orlando 2024
In 2024, I led eleven monthly Deep Listening events: 1/17, 2/21, 3/20, 4/17, 5/15, 6/16, 7/17, 9/18, 10/16, 11/20, and 12/18 at the Timucua Arts Foundation. Deep Listening is a composer’s sound practice devised by the legendary composer and thought leader, Pauline Oliveros (1932-2016). It ...
• 2023 •
America’s Wonders The Naples Philharmonic
America's Wonders A 3D and Musical Adventure Exploring America's National Parks and Exciting Cities is a unique cinematic and musical celebration, giving audiences the opportunity to see striking 3D film by McGillvray & Freeman while an orchestra takes them on a journey through America.During the ...
Over the North Jetty
"Over the North Jetty" for Double Chorus, Wind Octet and Flapper is a poem by William Stafford that speaks the thoughts of the poet watching a flock of geese in a northern winter storm. In his poem we are invited into deep empathy, as he observes ...
Over the North Jetty for Florida Choral Directors
"Over the North Jetty" for Double Chorus, Wind Octet and Flapper is a poem by William Stafford that speaks the thoughts of the poet watching a flock of geese in a northern winter storm. In his poem we are invited into deep empathy, as he observes ...
ACDA Florida Chapter Presentation with Dr. Andrew Minear
A week before Orlando Sings publicly presented "Over the North Jetty", the director of that organization, Dr. Andrew Minear, invited me to join him in presenting ideas in why choral singing is healthy. Lots of fun to work with Andrew in that setting and present ...
long contented waltz
"Long" Contented Waltz was created to get real brain wave frequency data to explore reactions to 432Hz tuning. It is the long version (10 minutes) of "Contented Waltz" a four minute piece that began as a solo classical guitar work in 1995. This extended version duplicates ...
Sacred Awe: the overview effect
"Sacred Awe" aims to transport the audience on a transformative voyage, leaving them with a renewed sense of grounding, contentment, and a deep appreciation for the delicate beauty of our planet. Through the universal language of music, this symphonic work seeks to evoke empathy and ...
FMEA – Emerging Leaders Program “Coming Together through Music”...
The Florida Music Education Association honored me to speak at their Emerging Leaders Conference. I chose to present basic Deep Listening® and HeartMath techniques and describe how they facilitate playing and singing in music ensembles. Originally titled "Coming Together Through Music", I updated the presentation ...
Children On The Playground concerto recording release
Navona records released my Violin Concerto for Strings "Children On The Playground" with violinist Milan Pala and the Brno Contemporary Orchestra under Pavel Snadjr. My most popular concert work, I'm thrilled that it has finally seen a worldwide, professional release! Milan Pala's storied emotional range is ...
Deep Listening® Orlando 2023
Pauline Oliveros:“What Is Deep Listening?For me Deep Listening is a life long practice. The more I listen the more I learn to listen. Deep Listening involves going below the surface of what is heard, expanding to the whole field of sound while finding focus. This ...
• 2022 •
Contented Waltz
A gentle waltz, this music began life in 1995 as a sketch called "Waltz for Guitar". I knew and loved the expressive sound of the instrument from my friendships with excellent guitarists like Stephen Aron at Oberlin and Tom Olson in Clevelend, as well as ...
“Four Dimensions” with TEREMA, St. Petersburg, Russia...
Four Dimensions is a seven-minute “concert of the future” composed in 2012 merging orchestra with both live and pre-recorded electronics. In St. Petersburg, Russia, a quite different double orchestra of Russian folk instruments and Strings called TEREMA performed a fascinating new arrangement with the same ...
FusionFest Fanfare 2022
FusionFest is an annual Orlando bash lasting two days on Thanksgiving Weekend. I was commissioned to produce the" Opening Spectacle" for both days. Scored for Brass Band (British), Chorus and African Drums, my goal was simply to create exciting music fitting for our city - something ...
Funky Tubes
To pay respect to James Brown, I cataloged the riffs in his 1972 "Funky Drummer" to create "Funky Tubes for Tuba Trio," commissioned by the FMTNA, premiering at their convention in 2018.I met Bob after hearing about his search into lost metallurgic processes that produced ...
Children On the Playground recording session in the Czech Republ...
The PARMA classical label team recorded "Children On The Playground" with Milan Paľa, violin and the Brno Contemporary Orchestra, conducted by Pavel Šnajdr in Brno, CZ on August 16th, 2022Milán Pala is Europe's up-and-coming violinist - known for his unbounded energy and passion.The Brno Contemporary ...
TongLen
This music, created with sampled orchestra and live musicians Beatriz Ramirez and Benoit Glazer, is formally structured to follow the experience of tonglen, a Tibetan Buddhist word translating to 'give and receive.' Tonglen is a series of mindful steps to build loving-kindness, empathy, and compassion ...
America’s Wonders The Florida Orchestra (Tampa)
America's Wonders A 3D and Musical Adventure Exploring America's National Parks and Exciting Cities is a unique cinematic and musical celebration, giving audiences the opportunity to see striking 3D images while an orchestra takes them on a journey through America.During the first half of the ...
America’s Wonders The Orlando Philharmonic
America's Wonders A 3D and Musical Adventure Exploring America's National Parks and Exciting Cities is a unique cinematic and musical celebration, giving audiences the opportunity to see striking 3D images while an orchestra takes them on a journey through America.During the first half of the ...
Deep Listening Orlando 2022
In 2022, the first year of my three-year tenure at Timucua Arts, I led three monthly Deep Listening classes: 8/21, 10/16, and 12/18. Deep Listening is a composer’s sound practice devised by the legendary composer and thought leader, Pauline Oliveros (1932-2016). It is open to ...
• 2021 •
FusionFest FANFARE 2021
Placed across 20 acres of downtown Orlando 29 brass, 7 train horns, 4 conch shells and a solo Hawai'ian vocal, this "Opening Spectacle" was a declaration of musical joy and cultural harmony, filling the air between Orlando City Hall and the Dr. Phillips Center. This ...
Distance Music @ IMMERSE 2021
Wouldn't it be fun to walk down 460 feet of Orlando's Orange Avenue, listening to a beautiful modern chord echoing through the air between its buildings - that changes its rhythm and note order as you move? To be surrounded by it, in infinite variations ...
Copy of Distance Music @ IMMERSE 2021
Wouldn't it be fun to walk down 460 feet of Orlando's Orange Avenue, listening to a beautiful modern chord echoing through the air between its buildings - that changes its rhythm and note order as you move? To be surrounded by it, in infinite variations ...
Joyful Play for Four Hands
Joyful Play is the four-hands piano adaptation of the opening movement of "Children On the Playground" for Solo Violin and Strings' performed by my dear friend and supporter, Rose Grace and Barry Snyder.Just like the concerto, this movement portrays an eight-year-old alpha kid leading a ...
• 2020 •
DRIVING TO WORK, I STOP SUDDENLY TO LET AN ALLIGATOR CROSS THE R...
For Soprano and Piano Performed by Anna Eschbach, soprano and Kristine Griffin, piano at the Timucua Arts Foundation during the Covid-19 pandemic. While most of our audience was onine, ten lucky people were given the opporunity to attend personally. This was a Central Florida Composers ...
La Mamma Morta with Soula Parassidis
Soula Parassidis is a Greek-Canadian Dramatic Soprano I met through Full Sail's top resident producer, Darren Schneider. After being introduced to the school, Soula and her husband, operatic tenor Norman Reinhardt asked Darren if he could help them produce a song meant for a film ...
• 2019 •
America’s Wonders The Utah Symphony
is a unique cinematic and musical celebration, giving audiences the opportunity to see striking 3D images while an orchestra takes them on a journey through America. This, our second set of performances received rave reviews from the press and audience. During the first half of the ...
America’s Wonders Premieres with The Cincinnati Pops
is a unique cinematic and musical celebration, giving audiences the opportunity to see striking 3D images while an orchestra takes them on a journey through America. This production was our premiere and the CEO of Princeton Entertainment flew the team in to witness our work ...
• 2018 •
Fanfare Orlando: Recording Sessions & Rollins Concert Choir
In 2018, Fanfare Orlando saw three performances and a recording session. Originally scored for three trumpets, four horns, 3 trombones, and tuba a new arrangement added a full SATB choir. Both were recorded by, conducted by John Sinclair. In two minutes, "Fanfare Orlando" presents two ...
• 2017 •
Woodwind Quintet No. 2
No instrument groups have as much personality than do the woodwinds. This quintet was written for the Alterity Chamber Orchestra's principal winds from late May through July 15th 2017 via a call for scores by CF2 . It premiered on October 15th, 2017 at the ...
Fanfare Orlando
Fanfare Orlando is a jubilant 2 minute fanfare for full brass choir, commissioned in 2017 by Maestro Eric Jacobsen of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra for their Silver Jubilee 25th Anniversary. It expresses pride in Orlando, the City Beautiful. Scored for three trumpets, four horns, 3 ...
• 2016 •
Venus and Vulcan in America
Reasons for the title of this music, thoughts and meaning Vulcan is Reason and Craft through the understanding of fire, metalworking, stone, and sculpture - the ancient versions of the Applied Sciences. Admired by the other gods for his skills, knowledge, even temperament, and the ...
Following Directions for Videoconference and two or more attende...
This is a Deep Listening® piece that served as my capstone sonic meditation for my Deep Listening (DL) Certificate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in January 2016. As is the nature of all DL works they provide a vehicle to our sound practice: the process of ...
• 2015 •
The American Prize: Special Achievement in the Art of the Concer...
The American Prize in Composition—Orchestra (professional division)JUDGES CITATION: "Special Achievement in the Art of the Concerto"KEITH LAY for "Children on the Playground"as performed by Sir Tamas Kocsis, violinThe Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra Strings, conducted by Christopher WilkinsThis is a concerto for violin and string orchestra dating ...
When Leaders Stop Listening
https://youtu.be/1q6lYFD3fnYIn the spirit of Charles Ives, Carl Stallings, and Frank Zappa, I wanted my audience to enjoy poking fun at the chain-of-command societal structure: to let the music inspire humor towards the feelings of powerlessness we often find ourselves in at work, in every level ...
Joyful Play
Four hands Piano https://youtu.be/4kaXVWperko?Joyful Play is an adaptation of the lively first movement of Children On the Playground for Solo Violin and Strings for two pianists sharing the same piano (called four hands). The music portrays an eight-year-old alpha kid leading a mini-mob of friends On the ...
Deep Listening® Certification Classes
Deep Listening is a composer’s sound practice devised by the legendary composer and thought leader, Pauline Oliveros (1932-2016). It is open to everyone and devised to serve and expand our well-being, especially for those drawn to music and sound. In 2015, I had decided to become ...
• 2014 •
Runaway Hearts (Film Soundtrack)
Runaway Hearts is a film about two kids on the run from a very scary present who come across two adults who can't quite escape their past. They're four people in need of a miracle, and sometimes the miracles in life are the very people ...
Two-Edged Sword
https://youtu.be/JY97e-l3oGk?t=5Two Edged Sword is a 6 minute 20 second single movement piece for Brass Quintet and Trap Set composed between July 31st and September 10th, 2014 for the Sovereign Brass ensemble. It was premiered on November 9th by the Sovereign Brass at the Trinity Preparatory ...
• 2012 •
inSPIRE for 22 brass, Carillon, Bell & Distance
https://youtu.be/NJ9aXLzaiuMOn October 20, 2012, musicians placed on rooftops, steeples, and lake boats in downtown Orlando, Florida performed "inSPIRE for 22 Brass, Carillons, C Bell and Distance," the first experiment in "distance music." The Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs department supported the project as a ...
Equilateral for Clarinet Quartet
https://youtu.be/Pi2hq05eYMoEquilateral for Four Clarinets, commissioned by Kevin Strang for the Sunshine Clarinet Quartet, is my first attempt to create music that flows on a seamless compression and relaxation of time that I call "Flowing Meter." The quartet premiered it at ClarinetFest 2012 in Asissi, Italy ...
Four Dimensions
four dimensions for orchestra, ewi and laptop Four Dimensions with the Orlando Philharmonic under the baton of Dirk Meyer, Brian Smithers on the Akai EWI. Computer art by Nathan Selikoff Four Dimensions is a seven-minute "concert of the future" merging orchestra with music synthesis. An ...
• 2010 •
Children On The Playground
Children On The Playground is a 17 minute, three-movement Concerto for Violin and Strings that strives to engage the audiences' imaginations through story and uncluttered composition, originally composed in 1999 and 2000 for Alex Dean's premiere performance in 2002 with the Air Force String Orchestra ...
• 2009 •
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• 2007 •
Vision of the Earth for Chorus, Orchestra, Organ and Soli
https://youtu.be/jW28af7LgtA The story behind "Vision of the Earth" Just moved to Florida in 1990, my first exploration of Winter Park, Florida took me to a dark corner of used bookstore near the corner of Park and Fairbanks. In the poetry section, I ran across a ...
Deep Listening® Retreat 2007
My twin brother, Kevin, also a fan of Pauline Oliveros' music and philosophies, and I enrolled in the Deep Listening Annual Retreat at Lifebridge Sanctuary in High Falls, NY from July 29th to August 4th, 2007. This was Kevin's second DL retreat, his first being ...
• 2006 •
Sonic Meditation: Practicing Happiness
Sonic Meditation: Practicing Happiness For any number of participants who can speak and be heard by each other. Listening Meditation As often or not often as you like, Listen internally and externally and say words and/or vocalize what you hear, feel, think, imagine, or see. At ...
• 2005 •
Meeting Pauline Oliveros
I met Pauline Oliveros , legendary composer and creator of Deep Listening, in June 2005 at Atlantic Center for the Arts (ACA) in New Smyrna, Florida. She was a master mentor for their Residency #114. At that time I (as a Full Sail representative) was ...
• 2004 •
Children On The Playground
Children On The Playground is a 17 minute, three-movement Concerto for Violin and Strings that strives to engage the audiences' imaginations through story and uncluttered composition, originally composed in 1999 and 2000 for Alex Dean's premiere performance in 2002 with the Air Force String Orchestra ...
Flying Tiger (Film Soundtrack)
Flying Tiger was an ambitious project of Keith Alan Morris, who had just joined the faculty of Full Sail around 2004. He asked me to compose the music to this project, and Mike Orlowski to handle audio postproduction - we both agreed because it would ...
• 2003 •
No posts found.
• 2002 •
Children On The Playground
Children On The Playground is a 17 minute, three-movement Concerto for Violin and Strings that strives to engage the audiences' imaginations through story and uncluttered composition, originally composed in 1999 and 2000 for Alex Dean's premiere performance in 2002 with the Air Force String Orchestra ...
• 1996 •
Earth Caoine (Earth Cry)
Earth Caoine (Cry) is a wail of loss for the planet, written for Richard Stoltzman in 1995-6 and recorded in Warsaw, Poland for MMC Recordings in 1996. ...Keith Lay’s unapologetically emotional Earth Caoine (1995), an extended cathartic wail of a piece essentially grieving for the ...
• 1995 •
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• 1990 •
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• 1989 •
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• 1987 •
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• 1983 •
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• 1976 •
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• 1975 •
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