Franz Kamin-Biography

He was self taught as a composer and pianist during the early years. He attended University of Oklahoma and Indiana University.

He studied composition at Oklahoma with Spencer Norton and at Indiana with Roque Cordero. He was a piano student with Alfonso Montecino at Indiana University .

Kamin, with the help of James Brody, began, weekly FIASCO meetings in Bloomington, Indiana in 1966. These meetings, for a period of five or six years, attracted composers, poets, artists, and other creative persons and became a focal point for experimental projects. After some time, even the university world accepted the creative presence of FIASCO, and faculty persons exhibited and performed under its independent aegis. When Brody left in 1970, Franz and John Beaulieu continued the FIASCOs. John and Franz moved to New York City in 1972, continuing their collaboration of making works and producing concerts.

Numerous musical compositions by Kamin arose out of the FIASCO meetings. Shortages of trained musicians for these performances gave rise to a whole body of works whose simple parts were played by non-musicians and in which the possibility of complex and evolving textures arose out of the use of elaborate signing and cueing systems. The creative background of these compositions came partly from the study of the branch of mathematics called topology.

One of the works which Kamin feels is the culmination of this period is The Concert of Doors, a synaesthetic work in which a number of doors, each of vastly differing design, some found, some constructed, ranging from comical to mysterious, were set on a path through a woods to be traversed by the audience-participants.

From about 1972 until the mid-1980's, Franz Kamin's activity centered around the New York City and the Hudson River valley. For some time during this period, he lived in Barrytown, New York. He was concert manager for Arnol Fini in Rhinebeck with Station Hill Press. They produced a number of concerts of works of various composers throughout the Northeast, including performances in Baltimore in 1978. Franz worked with Charlotte Moorman, the cellist, on annual Festivals of the Avant Garde. Kamin and John Beaulieu produced a number of concerts under the name Synesthetics Limited.

Kamin is published by Station Hill Press, including two books: ANN MARGARET LOVES YOU & other psychotopological diversions, 1980, and SCRIBBLE DEATH, 1986, along with several shorter work, musical scores and an LP recording of Behavioral Drift II and Rugugmool. Widemouth Tapes of Baltimore released a cassette entitled Scribble Music Sampler I. A number of literary and musical works are available (please see listing on this website).

Kamin presently resides in St. Paul, Minnesota. Every year, since the late 1980's, Franz gives a series of 'birthday' readings and concerts.