Title

Amian

Date of Submission

Spring 2014

Academic Programs and Concentrations

Music

Project Advisor 1

Joan Tower

Abstract/Artist's Statement

I think that having moved from Europe to the U.S. as a teenager has really formed my identity both as a person and as a musician. In retrospect, I find that a lot of my music, including my senior project, shares recurring sentiments. Although unconsciously, I often end up expressing in my pieces the nostalgia for home, family, and friends, the social and cultural isolation, the struggle to make myself understood, or the the feeling of drifting un-anchored anywhere. On the upside, there's also the excitement and awesomeness of exploration and discovering new things, and the lightness that comes from being unbound. Of course, not all my music attempts to express all of the emotions and states mentioned above, and not all of it is really that serious, but it is at least a significant aspect of what truly inspires me to write music. As my senior project, I've composed a piece for the ASO, titled "Amian," which is to be performed at the upcoming commencement concert. The title of this piece is a reference to Naima, a composition by John Coltrane. As a student of jazz music, I was inspired by the harmonies and the overall feeling of this lyrical ballad. My intention in this piece was to explore that feeling, and to create a surrounding soundscape that is simultaneously ambient and melodic. From my experience with making electronic music, I tried to use the approach of layering sounds, textures, and colors in an orchestral setting. In contrast to the ambience, there's also a more traditional, hymn-like sensibility that is brought out in the middle passage.

Open Access Agreement

On-Campus only

Creative Commons License

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