"collectively alone" |
for unaccompanied solo violin
Duration: ~8'
Commissioned by Musaics of the Bay
Inspired by the painting Shifting Rhythm by Sherry Karver
Premiere: December 28, 2020 by Sam Weiser, virtual premiere for Musaics of the Bay's Stay-at-Home Symposium
There was a lot about Sherry's painting that immediately resonated with my own approach to music. We often reflect on problems of today’s society, such as technology pushing us apart or the political landscape, so I really appreciated that Sherry embraces these issues in a beautifully self-reflective way. A lot of the paintings in her Urban City series really resonated with me, but I was attracted by this piece’s depiction of Grand Central Station’s bustling activity and as a location that so many people know. I chose to title the piece “collectively alone”, taking a direct excerpt from Sherry’s artist statement on this series. When she talks about the superimposition of bios on top of these strangers, she writes, “The figures are often caught in movement, conveying our individual journeys, where we are all ‘collectively alone’”. I love it when art looks for beauty in unconventional places, and there’s something romantic about Sherry’s depiction of strangers, from the perspective of a self-proclaimed people-watcher.
In this piece, I hone in on Sherry's themes of alienation and identity. Pointillism and minimalism, imbued with romantic gestures, were the guiding principles for my composition process. The general structure of my piece is in two parts that reflect the two main feelings I associate with living in an urban setting such as San Francisco, or back to my years growing up just outside of New York City, where I had this romantic idea of the city that’s now a little bit disillusioned. The opening represents this lonely feeling that we often associate with city-living — the musical gestures are fast but sparse. After a groove is established, I ask the violinist to meditate on their identity and sense of belonging in this indifferent world.
Lastly, I want to give big thanks to Sherry for her artwork that so deeply resonated with me; my friend Sam, with whom I’ve been wanting to collaborate for years — it was well worth the wait; and Audrey Vardanega and Musaics for the Bay for bringing the three of us together.
Duration: ~8'
Commissioned by Musaics of the Bay
Inspired by the painting Shifting Rhythm by Sherry Karver
Premiere: December 28, 2020 by Sam Weiser, virtual premiere for Musaics of the Bay's Stay-at-Home Symposium
There was a lot about Sherry's painting that immediately resonated with my own approach to music. We often reflect on problems of today’s society, such as technology pushing us apart or the political landscape, so I really appreciated that Sherry embraces these issues in a beautifully self-reflective way. A lot of the paintings in her Urban City series really resonated with me, but I was attracted by this piece’s depiction of Grand Central Station’s bustling activity and as a location that so many people know. I chose to title the piece “collectively alone”, taking a direct excerpt from Sherry’s artist statement on this series. When she talks about the superimposition of bios on top of these strangers, she writes, “The figures are often caught in movement, conveying our individual journeys, where we are all ‘collectively alone’”. I love it when art looks for beauty in unconventional places, and there’s something romantic about Sherry’s depiction of strangers, from the perspective of a self-proclaimed people-watcher.
In this piece, I hone in on Sherry's themes of alienation and identity. Pointillism and minimalism, imbued with romantic gestures, were the guiding principles for my composition process. The general structure of my piece is in two parts that reflect the two main feelings I associate with living in an urban setting such as San Francisco, or back to my years growing up just outside of New York City, where I had this romantic idea of the city that’s now a little bit disillusioned. The opening represents this lonely feeling that we often associate with city-living — the musical gestures are fast but sparse. After a groove is established, I ask the violinist to meditate on their identity and sense of belonging in this indifferent world.
Lastly, I want to give big thanks to Sherry for her artwork that so deeply resonated with me; my friend Sam, with whom I’ve been wanting to collaborate for years — it was well worth the wait; and Audrey Vardanega and Musaics for the Bay for bringing the three of us together.
