the power or means to decide

string quartet

Excerpt (1’34″)

The proper balance of the food groups leads to a healthy diet… a good night’s sleep allows for a rested mind and body… a balance of open communication and understanding helps relationships grow strong…. Every day we have to make a multitude of decisions – some small, some large – all aiming for the goal of a balanced life. Proper balance can result in a healthy life. It can also aid in situations of violence and conflict. What would our world be like if balance was more instilled in the thoughts of average individuals and our world leaders?

In spirit of these thoughts, the musical elements of this work were inspired (or taken directly) from observations of the world we live in. The form of the piece is derived from a recording of walking through the city, copied verbatim. Just as new people, places, and events occur randomly through life, different sections, textures and musical events happen throughout the piece. The harmony of the work comes from several samples of a violin’s (open G) string. Differing bow speeds and techniques in the violin samples resulted in consonant/dissonant (balanced or not) harmonies that retain some element of the original G. While this piece is its own musical entity, it could also provoke thought into the real-life ways of decide how to balance our lives and the world in which we live.