In his new collection of compositions titled “Leaps & Bounds,” Lance Hulme, DMA, pulls from various countries, cultures and musical styles.
Hulme, an associate professor of music at North Carolina Central University(NCCU), includes Appalachian folk, medieval chant, solo piano, jazz and even a piece which juxtaposes rock-inspired flute with Japanese Shakuhachi music.
“It’s typical of me,” said Hulme. “I like picking up things and saying ‘I like that. I’ll add it to the pile.’ A good musician should be able to make music with two sticks and a rubber band.”
He has been adding to the pile for quite some time.
“The first time I remembered a composition, I was four years old,” Hulme said. “They played a piece at church, and I was spellbound.”
At age seven he started piano lessons. At 16, he composed a piece for his high school orchestra. From age 18 to his mid 20s, Hulme made his living as a jazz pianist.
“It was a big age of jazz-fusion,” Hulme said. “I was one of those guys with six or seven keyboards. That takes a lot of investment. I was having more success in the world of orchestral music.”
Along the way he completed degrees in music at Yale University, Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester and studied at the University for Music in Vienna, Austria.
For the next 17 years he lived in Europe – mostly based in Germany but with time in Austria – where he led a chamber ensemble and worked as a freelance musician, arranger and transcriber for various institutions, ensembles and individuals.
An offer to teach brought him back to the United States in 2003 and to NCCU in 2010. He teaches aural skills, music theory, composition and music technology. In fall 2025, he will teach a new course in sound design.
The 110 minutes of music on “Leaps & Bounds” is a compilation of mostly commissioned pieces, with one composition that dates as far back as the 1990s. Hulme’s knowledge of musical technology was useful as he did most of the recording (with assistance) plus mixing and post-production. Assistant Professor Pankita Patel of the department of art and design created the cover art.
“Art is the human experience held still for a moment,” said Hulme. “I do that in music, to some extent. I try to create something that a listener comes to and, regardless of their knowledge of the genre style, it changes how they experience life.”
This is Hulme’s second CD although his music has also appeared on CDs by eight others. The two compact disk set was published by Métier Records (England) in April 2025.