Premiered by Magdalena Sustere, cello
April 29th, 2017 at Ganz Hall, Chicago, IL
Original story by Catherine Isaac Lindquist
Original artwork by Rachel Coad
A Nebulous Exploration
(2017) for cello, electronics, and audience participant
This piece is an experiment in crossing musical genres and breaking down traditional concert norms. It is my attempt to bridge a gap between electronic art music and narrative video game music, and I do so by including an original story by Catherine Isaac Lindquist. Whereas most music for film or video games works to support the narrative, here the narrative is meant to emphasize the listening experience. By inviting an audience member to actively participate in the narrative (thus affecting the music), I dissolve the traditional performer-listener dichotomy in favor of a more inclusive experience.
The piece’s title, A Nebulous Exploration, manifests in three ways. First, the piece depicts the literal exploration of a nebula, since it follows a narrative of a voyage into outer space. Second, the form and character of the piece is nebulous, changing with each performance as the audience member answers the questions differently. Finally, the process of composing this piece has been a nebulous exploration on my part, since I set out to try something new without any guide or clear image of where I would end up.