James Grant: residency at Copland House

	Copland House, from the driveway. Built in the mid-1940s and purchased by Mr. Copland in 1960, the spacious living quarters are all on one level. In this photo, the kitchen and living room are closest to the camera; the master bedroom and guest room are in the middle section; and the enormous composition studio is secluded in the rear of the house.
Moving counterclockwise. In this photo, the studio is at the far right end.
	The studio.
The studio from a distance.
	The studio, curtains drawn, because of the afternoon sun. The piano is directly behind the curtains.
The terrace, with the ramp leading to the entrance of the studio.
	Inside the studio is Mr. Copland's wide-plank composition desk, which he had built for him by a farmer. The piano is a glorious seven-foot Baldwin. The CDs on the shelves are recordings of Mr. Copland's music, the music of contemporary composers, and the music of Copland Award winners.
A portrait of Mr. Copland at his desk (Note different piano.)
	I set up my own workstation by the picture window. That's Mr. Copland's chair in the corner -- I sit there quietly in the morning and listen to the room....
... and read a bit before bed.
The view looking out the window over the piano. The curtains are kept shut in the afternoon because of the sun.
	On the studio shelves, an autographed photo of Igor Stravinsky, inscribed on the left: To Aaron Copland cordially I. Stravinsky New York Dec/1959 and on the right: in gratitude of our LES NOCES performance.
The library off of the studio.
	The master bedroom, with door leading directly into the studio. I wake at dawn, walk into the studio, and discover the mood of the day by improvising at the Baldwin.
The hallway, leading from the library to the "living" area of the house. On the right is the first page manuscript of Mr. Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man,"...
	...which looks like this.
In the hallway is a magical three-sided mirrored alcove of drawers...
	...where I have spent far too much time pondering the angles...
...and coming up with shots like this.
	Just past the built-in amusement park is the guest room.
Emerging from the hallway, into the living room.
	The living room in the bright afternoon sun.
The dining area, leading into the kitchen. I brought with me to Copland House my Bose surround-sound music system, which I have set up in the corners of the living room. (There is also a terrific sound system in the studio.) In the morning and in the afternoon, I sit in the living room and study/listen to orchestral works. In the evening, I put on the jazz station and make dinner.
I compose throughout the day in focused sprints of 30 - 45 minutes, separated by similar periods of house chores, correspondence, walking outside, etc. This is how I always have worked most efficiently, structuring into the day multiple away-from-the-desk percolation periods. This approach keeps musical ideas fresh and vibrant while ensuring my own evenness of concentration. Typically, I log in 5 - 6 hours of daily concentrated "at-the-desk" compositional work, spread out between dawn and dusk.
	The sunny kitchen -- my favorite room in the house! On the counter are my Henckel 5-Star knives, which I brought with me.
The kitchen, with the door leading to the living room.
	The first meal I prepared in Mr. Copland's kitchen: steamed broccoli drizzled with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, with a hint of fresh rosemary; steamed carrots lightly glazed with maple syrup and a pinch of nutmeg; chicken Jimbo (which means I can't remember what I did to it, but I'm sure sweet vermouth and garlic were involved); and risotto with lemon, parsley, and parmesan. The chalice offers a crisp 2000 Santa Margherita pinot grigio, with which I toasted my host.
A portrait of Mr. Copland, painted in 1972 by Marcos Blahove. A copy hangs in the Library of Congress.