Welcome to Current Dissonance

Sometimes, words aren’t enough.

For years, I’ve loved creating improvised music in response to all sorts of stimuli. With the world finding fresh ways to twist itself inside out on a daily basis, I find the daily news to be explosive fuel every time I touch a piano or keyboard.

Current Dissonance takes current events out of our eyes and into our ears. Multiple times each week, I improvise a new section of music in reaction to a headline in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Asahi Shimbun, The Times of India, The Australian, or other major news outlet from around the world, and share it with you via this newsletter. It gives me peace and clarity to do this—and I hope it can bring the same for you.

Elements of Current Dissonance will evolve over time. For a few months beginning in July 2022, I experimented with short descriptions of why I played what I played—or at least, which threads of the day’s headline I tried to untangle or retie with my improv. And in November 2022, I started using starker, more striking visuals for the videos, to better match each post’s music and moment. No doubt there will be other experiments, evolutions, and changes to come.

Thanks so much for being here. I hope you enjoy the music.

Michael Gallant

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How to subscribe

Just sign up below and check your email. Every new edition of Current Dissonance goes directly to your inbox.

Current Dissonance is available on two subscription levels. You can sign up to hear an average of:

  • 1 new post every 1-2 weeks. (Free)

  • 3-4 new posts every week. ($15/month or $150/year)

If you’d like to be a full subscriber to Current Dissonance but the cost would be a financial burden, please contact me here. I want to share this music and I want to hear from you. All conversations are confidential.

About me

I’m a musician, composer, producer, writer, arts consultant, and entrepreneur living in New York City. You can read my full bio here.

photo by Logan Grendel

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Re-seeing the news through improvised music.

People

Michael Gallant is a writer, musician, and entrepreneur living in New York City.
folk rock storyteller, singer/songwriter/producer for the band Aurical, and VP of Marketing and Membership for the League of American Orchestras.