Performed by the Illinois State Symphonic Winds on 3/23/16

the depths of the sea, for wind ensemble

Performed Nov. 17 at the Student Composers Concert in Comstock Hall, University of Louisville

Camera Obscura, for trombone and percussion quartet

Nala Kathleen, soprano
Dylon Crane, narrator

Orchestra Enigmatic, March 27, 2018

dreamscape no. 1 "untitled", for soprano and chamber orchestra

I. Spoken Music
II. Breathing Music

Musics is an ongoing exploration of music through language in experimental settings. In Spoken Music, texts are taken from English (William Shakespeare), German (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe), and ancient Greek (Sappho) and overlapped together. The juxtaposition of these three languages allows the ear to hear the implicit rhythm of each poets’ setting, but in combining these rhythms, musical lines begin to unfold using phonemes, syllables, and false friends as pivot points. In Breathing Music, the breath takes the responsibility of building forward motion and narrative motion. This movement uses English, Spanish, and French in a similar way as the first movement, but abstracts them in a different manner. Rather than all together, they are deconstructed individually, and the traditional elements of music are reprioritized. Tone takes precedence over pitch. Complex noise takes precedence over harmony. Cadence over rhythm. Texture over motif.

watch the performance here: https://youtu.be/R_TsQ1pQlts

Musics, for 3 voices

13 Sound Objects for orchestra

I. calming (“F”)
II. stately (“R”)
III. bridge (“E”)
IV. wild 1 (“Y”)
V. wild 2 (“S”)
VI. wild 3 (“C”)
VII. wild 4 (“H”)
VIII. wild 5, RADICAL (“A”)
IX. bridge (“E”)
X. calming (“F”) 
XI. calming (“F”) 
XII. bridge (“E”) 
XIII. stately (“R”)


Each movement is based on a spectral analysis of a letter, and then orchestrated based on this analysis. The letters spell out the two composers that inspired this short piece, Jürg Frey and Pierre Schaeffer. Frey and Schaeffer's philosophies on music have had a profound impact on me, particularly in the idea of noise and sound objects.

13 Sound Objects, for orchestra

tues 3.13 bedroom

premiered at the Valencia International Performance Academy 2018

July 20th, 2018

Mieko Kanno, violin

On Negative Space, for solo violin

super position, for solo harp

“Reward:

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $1,000,000 for information directly leading to the apprehension of Joanne Chesimard.

Remarks:

Chesimard may wear her hair in a variety of styles and dress in African tribal clothing.

Caution: Joanne Chesimard is wanted for escaping prison in Clinton, New Jersey, while serving a life sentence for murder. On May 2, 1973, Chesimard, who was part of a revolutionary extremist organization known as the Black Liberation Army, and two accomplices were stopped for a motor vehicle violation on the New Jersey Turnpike by two troopers with the New Jersey State Police. At the time, Chesimard was wanted for her involvement in several felonies, including bank robbery. Chesimard and her accomplices opened fire on the troopers. One trooper was wounded and the other was shot and killed execution-style at point-blank range. Chesimard fled the scene, but was subsequently apprehended. One of her accomplices was killed in the shoot-out and the other was also apprehended and remains in jail.

In 1977, Chesimard was found guilty of first degree murder, assault and battery of a police officer, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with intent to kill, illegal possession of a weapon, and armed robbery. She was sentenced to life in prison. On November 2, 1979, Chesimard escaped from prison and lived underground before being located in Cuba in 1984. She is thought to currently still be living in Cuba. SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS”
— https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/wanted_terrorists

The composer would like to note, that Assata Shakur was acquitted on the charges of armed robbery, bank robbery, and kidnapping. During her trial for first degree murder, a neurologist, neurosurgeon, and pathologist testified that she was shot in the back, with her arms raised above her head. The bullet damaged her median nerve, making her unable to pull a trigger. There was no gunpowder residue found on her fingers, nor were her fingerprints found on and weapon at the crime scene. While awaiting trial, she was kept in solitary confinement for 21 months.

On Isolation

sun 4.22 speed

the darkness between looking at two objects, for violin, soprano, and live electronics

Elisabeth Burmeister, soprano
Julia Rossi, violin

in the summer of 2018, I was introduced to a phenomena in which while moving, in which our eyes are unable to perceive space. while we think we have a fluid stream of vision, what happens instead is that our vision blacks out and our brains fill in what it thinks should be there. in this space, an infinity of possibility exists for exploration, and this piece explores them in a few different ways; this piece uses my memories of the summer of 2018 to navigate this dynamic darkness.

derek douglas carter

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