LEXINGTON, Ky.—In 2006, Transylvania music professor Larry Barnes spent his summer composing a score for “Euphoria,” a full-length film that had already won the Gold Medal at the Houston Film Festival. In July of this year, the soundtrack for “Euphoria” was released, featuring Barnes’ score. On November 12, at 7:30 p.m., “Euphoria” will be shown at the Kentucky Theater in Lexington. Tickets are $6 for general admission, $5 for students and seniors. DVDs and CDs will be available for purchase following the film screening. Barnes will give an introduction before the screening.
The feature-length documentary is an out-of-the-box art and science film that asks: In a country built for the pursuit of happiness, is it working? Is living a meaningful life the secret to a natural high? Boot starts by defining the real American Dream as emotional survival and travels across the country searching for clues and human stories to shed some light.
“Filmmaker Lee Boot had heard me perform my music in Baltimore years back and he called me and asked if I would review his film with the possibility of my adding a complete musical score,” said Barnes in 2007. “I was elated. I had wanted to compose for film for years and here was a work that had already won a Gold Medal in its original form.”
Barnes’ music has been featured at festivals and concert series on three continents. His music has been described by The New York Times as showing a “fine sensitivity.” Barnes is the recipient of the Cleveland Orchestra Premiere award, a National Endowment for the Arts Composer Fellowship and 27 ASCAP awards. His Toccata: Act of War for solo piano, inspired by the horrific events of September 11, 2001, was released in 2007 as Sonance: New Music for Piano. Commissions include music for Bertram Turetzky, Sine Nomine Singers and the Quadrant Ensemble. His music is recorded on Capstone, MRS and MMC record labels. Barnes is a distinguished Bingham Fellow for Excellence in Teaching at Transylvania.