Earlier this spring UMKC Conservatory and Kansas City Art Institute alumnus Mikel Rouse published his memoir “The World Got Away.”
The memoir is filled with his experiences as a composer and established artist in the performing arts. From stories about hot dogs and totalism to performing amongst the fumes of wet paint, Rouse wrote in the glory and grimy details of his greatest professional achievements.
“The book was absolutely fascinating,” said UMKC Conservatory Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Professor of Musicology Andrew Granade. “I’ve known Mikel for many years now and reading the book was like sitting down to dinner with him.”
Rouse was isolated from his performance-based career during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. He digitized his works to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts online database and reviewed 40 years of music composition.
Rouse has composed a variety of music but is notably respected for his opera compositions. Included in these are “Dennis Cleveland” and “Failing Kansas” which are both operas that have dedicated chapters in Rouse’s memoir.
With a fresh perspective on his work and after many requests from his friends in previous years, Rouse finally caved and wrote “The World Got Away.”
“I’ve had friends and colleagues suggest that I do this for over a decade,” said Rouse.
Though unfamiliar with writing and publishing a story, Rouse’s memoir embodies his uniqueness. He structured the chapters to allow readers to start at any chapter regardless of its order in the book. Chapters are layered by interjecting references that can be explored at the reader’s own pace.
“I like the idea that you can sort of just jump in anywhere,” said Rouse. “I kinda looked at it a little bit as a composition not just a memoir.”
Rouse is well-known as a composer and was recognized as the 2011 UMKC Conservatory Alumnus of the Year. Rouse is an advocate for uniqueness and a supporter of creators who explore what is new.
“You might be lonely if you’re doing something that’s very different from what everybody else is doing,” said Rouse. “I still feel like you have a better chance at being successful if you’re doing something unique and different because no one else is doing it.”
Rouse is also the founder of a musical style known as counter poetry, a lyrical layering technique that builds verses with different rhythms on top of each other. Rouse related them to how the planets align in their separate revolutions around the Sun.
“You can feel that they’re resolving in a cadence-like way even though sometimes the harmonies can be very different than a typical resolution,” said Rouse.
His TV show-inspired opera “Dennis Cleveland” is done in this style of counter poetry and was Granade’s introduction to Rouse’s work.
“It uses the format of a talk show to really talk about contemporary issues in American life,” said Granade. “I was completely blown away because it’s a super immersive experience.”
