Remembering

About this piece:

Remembering is a piece that pours onto itself. Beginning with a thin, lonely, and unsure passage shared by the strings, the piece grows through one musical line attempting to recall what another has just done, spiraling forward in varied canon. Not until the climax of the piece, when each member of the orchestra plays together, is the theme fully in the foreground and piece realized, or “remembered”.

I took feelings of yearning, multi-directional pulling, lostness, and hope, and mixed them into a blurry cacophony of sound which I enjoy calling a “sound brick”. This texture uses repetition and anticipation to provide a layered, rich, and surprising sonic experience. Very intentionally, Remembering ends unanswered, and does not provide the satisfaction that the listener (and I) desire. Remembering is not intended to present a particular image, story, or physical thing. Instead, listening to this piece should be personal and intimate. I hope you find meaning by reflecting upon a memory or feeling associated that the music may evoke.

Remembering is written for full orchestra as a collaborative project resulting from a year-long fellowship with the Mississippi Valley Orchestra with director and conductor Ho-Yin Kwok. Also, thank you to Ryne Siesky, Mellissa D’Albora, and Benjamin Montgomery for acting as composer mentors during the piece’s conception and development.