American Dream
music by Scott Wollschleger
performed by Bearthoven (Karl Larson, piano; Pat Swoboda, double bass; and Matt Evans, percussion)

From Scott Wollschleger's second album, American Dream, released on Cantaloupe Music:
https://cantaloupemusic.com/albums/american-dream

American Dream (measures 219-392)

Huge, huge thanks to Laura, Madison, Marina, Charlotte, Ellery, and Joy, whose patience, kindness, brilliance, friendship, and magical sounds made it possible. 

Big shoutout to Taylor Brooks, David Bird, David Adamcyk, and Murat Colak for the extra support! Let's celebrate the spirit of collaboration and the incredible power of artistic synergy. I am forever grateful for your invaluable contributions.

Who Wants To Listen To That

The Disarray was inspired by the self-taught abstract and street photographer Olga Karlovac, more specifically her second photography book of the same name, as well her as self-portraits. Her work strikes me as dark and unsettlingly beautiful, and it instills in me a sense of inner turmoil that takes over the outside world. In this piece I aimed to simply capture the feeling of profound grief and inescapable desolation that I find in her photography.

The Disarray

TA: Serge Modular analogue synthesizer, contact microphone.

Spectro (excerpt 1)

performed by Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, conducted by Marc Desmons

June 25, 2019 @ Maison de la Radio Studio 105, Paris, France

cover art by Jackie Andrews

Thunderhead - for orchestra

HYPHA: Deep Ocean

For two microtonal keyboards (2019)
Duration: 7 minutes
Commissioned by the Ray-Kallay Duo (Vicki Ray & Aron Kallay)

Program note:
I wrote "hush" during a time when I wanted nothing more than a hug.  The uncannily saccharine sounds of the piece are meant to surround and envelop the listener as similar to how an infant might be swaddled when held in their mother’s arms.  The piece is scored for two microtonal pianos using alternate tuning systems reminiscent of a music box.  Over time, the tuning is further warped, creating a haunting and unearthly emotional affect.

Though lullabies are generally used to soothe a child to sleep, they are often even more meaningful for the mother who sings them, and the lyrical content of many historical lullabies is dark and lamentful.  "hush" tries to capture this duality, portraying the sweet, yet eerie nostalgia of childhood.

hush

Written for and performed by Longleash Trio - Pala Garcia (violin), John Popham (cello), and Renate Rohlfing (piano) - in August, 2019

score art by Jacqueline Andrews

infested                      

infested - Longleash Trio

Performed by Latitude 49 at Princeton University.

Until You Are In The Dark

2-channel electronic, fixed-media.
Loíza, Puerto Rico, December 25, 2020 - January 2, 2021.
"drink rain from the pulse at my throat" - text excerpted from Kim Addonizio's "Muse".

The Disarray

Elijah Daniel Smith