Towards a New Future
Oh how time flies!
It’s been months since last I blogged and too much has happened in the world to even scratch the surface. We have a new president which, though he was not my first choice, has given me hope for the future (I’m very proud of my home state’s flip to blue!!), as well as the first Black woman as vice president! Things are not automatically better, but after the disastrous four years we’ve been through, I think this is cause for some celebration.
I have some very exciting projects lined up for the coming months! In less than a month on February 13th, I will present my senior performance recital, In Dreams. I have just had my first rehearsal with my fantastic accompanist, and I am so excited to perform some incredible contemporary works. And the most exciting part is - anyone can watch it from anywhere! It will be livestreamed on the Fred Fox School of Music YouTube channel. I am so excited to finally perform again after a year of not being able to perform at all!
On the composition side of things, I’m working towards my composition recital, Outer Space/Inner Space which will be in May. This recital explores the concept of space in different contexts both metaphorical and literal. Dr. Jackie Glazier will perform my piece Automata for Clarinet and Electronics, pianist Mathew Lanning will perform Solitudes, and the Vulpes Wind Quintet (of which I am a part) will premiere my passion project Dream States. I began writing Dream States in November of 2019 and finished it last July, and it is the longest and most intricate piece I have ever written. Tonight is our first rehearsal on it and I couldn’t be more excited to bring it to life!
In addition, my composition recital will feature two new commissions that are in the works. One is for tuba and electronics titled Inland Empire, commissioned by Caroline Earnhardt. The other is a solo viola work for my dear friend Gabby Cioca. We first bonded over our shared love of film, so she asked me to write something inspired by a film I love. I settled on Richard Linklater’s beautiful romance Before Sunrise, and specifically a monologue Julie Delpy’s character gives near the end about how if any god exists, it’s in the space between people and the attempt at understanding them. It’s one of the most beautiful pieces of cinematic writing I’ve ever encountered, and I am attempting to reflect the sincere beauty of it in the work.
Finally, and perhaps most excitingly, I will be recording a solo clarinet album over the summer! I have always wanted to commission living composers, and this project is a perfect opportunity. I will be recording my own piece Automata, Theresa Martin’s Gryphon, selections of Alice Jones’ Tiny Efforts, and commissioning three new works by Sayre Evans, Chris Holmes, and Ahmed Alabaca. I have gotten to know these three exceptional composers through Twitter of all places, and I am so excited to bring new works of theirs to life and to share them with you! This album is something I’ve always dreamed of doing; curating a program of entirely living LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and women composers. I really hope this won’t be my last such project! I’ve always seen myself more as a composer than a performer, but lately I’ve been trying to balance both of those things so I can continue supporting other living composers and getting their music played. It’s something very near to my heart.
That’s all for now, please tune into my recital on the 13th!