Well-Oiled Machine in the Next Town Over (+ Other Organized Sounds)

Author

Julian Garcia-Kwan

Date of Award

2015

First Advisor

Larry Wallach

Second Advisor

John Myers

Abstract

Although I have often found it to be primarily an indescribably personal, emotional experience, music for me has always been my method of engaging and connecting with other people, the language for communicating on an emotional level in which I am most fluent. Confident in my passion for composition, I set out to create new works of music with the ambition of beginning to define my personal voice in contemporary classical music. I sought to compose music that would engage audiences through vivid and provocative imagery, colorful landscapes, narrative, and by immersing listeners in a fun and accessible tonal atmosphere. The result was the conception of three new pieces - Mulan, Scenes for Horn and Piano, and Well-Oiled Machine in the Next Town Over - that I believe succeed in all of those regards. Professional new music ensemble Contemporaneous premiered the works in a public, on-campus performance. The many months spent realizing this music and working with the ensemble not only aided immense personal growth for me as a musician and composer, but also provided me with valuable insight into the professional contemporary music world. My music was composed for its listeners and I cannot wait to share it with anyone willing to lend me an ear.

Recommended Citation

Garcia-Kwan, Julian, "Well-Oiled Machine in the Next Town Over (+ Other Organized Sounds)" (2015). Senior Theses. 935.
https://digitalcommons.bard.edu/sr-theses/935