I am fascinated with the nuances and transformations of the color of substance and sound. This fascination has led me to study the intimate correlation between visual and sound art. What my work as a composer, vocal improviser, and visual artist has in common is timbral and textural exploration. Recently, I have been exploring artistic representations of sound by experimenting with different forms of notation: using variations of color and intensity to represent musical parameters, exploring the use of fragmented text, and combining Western musical aesthetics with popular/mainstream musical ideas. My experimentation has also included constructing and deconstructing traditional musical symbols, and superimposing alternate forms of musical notation with more traditional ones.
My scores are infused with elements of improvisation. They give musicians both the freedom and the responsibility of interpretation. The actual process of creating a score is also in many ways improvised. Each score is a spontaneous gestural representation of preconceived ideas about instrumentation, orchestration, space, time, and form.
Interdisciplinary art is important to me. The provocative nature of an idea can be explored imaginatively through different artistic media. Lately, I have been focusing on writing music for specific performers. It is a pleasure to use and push their talents in new directions. Collaboration compels me to think about material from multiple perspectives. It is both rewarding and challenging to see how another artist will interpret my ideas.
I am a champion of America’s eclectic roots. American folk music is alive. It breathes with the collective spirit of every person that it has affected, and all of those who have left a personal mark on it. Songs have the opportunity to evolve or transform every time new musician embraces them. In turn each musician is personally affected by the music. I am especially interested in using elements of America’s folk music as structures for improvisation. One thing that I love about this music is that the melodic contour and relative intervallic structure is certain, but the tonal center can shift throughout the performance of the song. It is a way to bring melodic material into improvisation without adhering to tonality. It is also a way to engage the audience by pulling in melodies that may be recognizable, if only for a fleeting moment.
In the past, American Music was based on the foundation of community. It was a coming together of many cultural influences, intentions, and ideas. It was a reflection of life. Community support and participation was necessary because you cannot survive alone. People participated in music to help them get through the day, to educate, to celebrate, to mourn, etc, as opposed to our modern society where everything is a commodity. The affects of capitalism have changed the function of music. I want to be involved in the revival of music as a daily social function, not a capitalist one.
The title of my page is derived from a personal anecdote that occurred during my first semester at Mills College. I was studying with Joëlle Léandre and had recently started working with monochromatic ink drawings as an alternative representation of sound. Honestly, I was unsettled about this new exploration. I felt like the entire foundation of my musical-being had been demolished and I was trying to stay afloat amongst the ruins. I anxiously brought some of my scores to show Joëlle and her response was so enthusiastic that I have since carried it around with me as a personal mantra.
“This is beautiful–it say somethings. Never stop doing this.â€
And I haven’t stopped since.
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Education:
Mills College–May 2008
Master of Arts in Music Composition
Elizabeth Mills Crothers Award for Outstanding Musical Composition
Graduate Research Oppurtunity Grant for Thesis Composition
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee–December 2005
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Composition and Technology
Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance
Phi Kappa Phi, Dean’s Honor List, Commencement Honors
Santa Reparata International School of Art (Florence, Italy)–Summer 2005
Oil Painting, Florentine Renaissance Art History
Mentored by/Performed with: I have had the priviledge to work with Pauline Oliveros, Fred Frith, Joëlle Léandre, Roscoe Mitchell, Hilda Paredes, Zeena Parkins, David Bernstein, Dina Emerson, India Cooke, and many other brilliant people. Thank you universe!
Myspace Backgrounds
