I wrote this piece in response to a particularly hard event which took place during 2013.  My confidence was shattered and my depression flared.  Well-intentioned people instructed me to do things like "smile more" and "cheer up".  It was then that I realized that hiding my misery behind a facade of happiness was not only impossible but to attempt it would be detrimental to my health.  Would their opinion of the facade change if they knew how painful it is to maintain it? My goal was to imbue this piece with that idea.

©2013

Performed May 22, 2015 at the University of Bristol by George Owen (cello) and Lydia Ward (piano).

Facades for cello and piano

" ...simultaneously innovative, intellectually stimulating, but most of all emotionally moving." - Maria Choban, Oregon ArtsWatch

Facades for cello and piano

Brandon Stewart