Amnesia

Amnesia is a continuation of my ongoing exploration in the interaction of different sounds and the manipulation of rhythm, texture, and timbre to create evocative soundscapes in my music. It is also a culmination of my interest in composing music using poetry as a starting point, and delving into the significance of repetition, memory, and groove in my artistic practice. Written for the Grossman Ensemble, resident ensemble at the Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition, this work was constructed from four sound sketches and through some guided improvisations with the musicians and conductor, David Fulmer. The four sound sketches are sonic interpretations of four lines from my poem "Amnesia" – "spiralling graphite", "a demented waltz", "stiff petals and prickly yarn", and "a cloud of glass shards". By collaging the different sound sketches, I built a piece loosely based on the poem, playing with repetition, groove, and memory. Familiar gestures return in new contexts, become trapped in looping grooves, and dissolve into fragments. Amnesia is dedicated to my grandfather, who was diagnosed with dementia a few years ago. The piece was premiered by the Grossman Ensemble, conducted by David Fulmer, on March 3, 2023 at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, University of Chicago.