Enchanted

Purchase link: https://mollyjoycemusic.com/product/lean-back-and-release/

Lean Back and Release was written in the winter of 2013 in New York City, and was first performed professionally on the 2014 Bang on a Can Marathon. Upon starting the work, I knew that I wanted to create a very gradual descent for the violin in range that drives the whole piece. I imagined the violinist gradually “leaning back” and finally “releasing” the distinct low register of the violin. Therefore, I also wrote two accompanying violin tracks in order to propel this descent. The two accompanying tracks were previously recorded by the violinist and subsequently processed electronically with delays and distortion.

Lean Back and Release is dedicated to Adrianna Mateo, and special thanks also to Andrew McKenna Lee for recording and mixing.

Lean Back and Release

Format: vinyl/digital
Written and produced by Andu Simion in Ploiești, România
Additional production by Mike Grant

Code Shot

Rain In My Head was inspired by the Shel Silverstein poem “Rain” and harpist Emily Hoile. In the Silverstein poem, the feeling of rain or something “else” holding your mind or brain down is described, which I found very intriguing. I cannot put into words exactly why I was so attracted to this poem and the feeling it describes, however I feel that it is a feeling that we all have at some point in our lifetimes. The last line of the poem reads “since there's rain in my head.”
	This piece was inspired by the incredible harpist Emily Hoile, who is one of my best friends. It was truly to honor to write this piece for Emily and a very special project for me.
	Rain In My Head was written in the fall of 2011 in New York City and is dedicated to Emily Hoile. Special thanks to Ryan Streber for recording and mixing.

Rain In My Head

2018-09-08 | Cervantes' Other Side, Denver, CO

Keep It Movin'

Nameless

Skyline

Glow, for vintage electric chord organ, was written in the fall of 2012 for The Yard, an independent newspaper serving the interests of the next generation of performing artists. Performed by Molly Joyce.

More info here: http://www.theyardpress.com/2012/12/31/ywv-2-glow-by-molly-joyce/

Glow

Purchase link: https://mollyjoycemusic.com/product/dew-of-the-moon/

Dew of the Moon, for solo alto saxophone, was written in the fall of 2012 in New York City and was commissioned by saxophonist Don-Paul Kahl. 

When I first received the commission from Don-Paul in the summer of 2012, I was currently studying composition in Berlin, and one of my composer colleagues there had presented a piece of hers in which she had set the poem The Land Which is Not, by Edith Södergran. I quickly fell in love with the poem and the sense of longing and ambiguity that it exudes, specifically the line “in the dew of the moon.” I thus decided to take the idea of the “dew of the moon,” and whatever that may mean, as inspiration for the piece. As I thought about it more, I realized that for me the “dew of the moon” could possibly be a dance floor, and therefore I decided to try to translate whatever this dance floor with people dancing on it might be to shape the music for the saxophone.

Dew of the Moon is also dedicated to Don-Paul Kahl, who I am so grateful to have met as a colleague, friend, and future collaborator.

Dew of the Moon

Purchase link: https://mollyjoycemusic.com/product/blue-swell/

Blue Swell, for violin and organ, was written in the spring of 2012 in New York City and is dedicated to Mariam Machaidze. It was inspired by the idea of a gradual surge or “swell” of musical material supported by chords played by the organ.

This piece was also inspired by violinist Mariam Machaidze, and special thanks to Greg Zelek and Andrew McKenna Lee for assisting in the recording process.

The piece can be performed live with both instruments or also with the organ part as an electronic track.

Blue Swell

Purchase link: https://mollyjoycemusic.com/product/sit-and-dance/

Sit and Dance, for baroque cello and pre-recorded electronics, was written in the summer of 2012 in New York City for cellist Paul Dwyer. In 2012 he started a great project of commissioning composers to write new pieces for the baroque cello, and I thought it would be an interesting and fun challenge to write new music for a very old instrument.

When I first decided to write a piece for Paul, one of his preferences for the new pieces was to have a ground bass line from the 17th century era somehow included in each piece. Therefore when I first started writing the piece, I was immediately very anxious about how to include the ground bass line that I had chosen, and in general how to write for the baroque cello and make it hopefully effective. I thus decided to have the piece turn into a piece for live baroque cello and multiple pre-recorded cello tracks that are processed electronically. This way I feel that I was able to base the music completely off of the ground bass but at the same time hopefully take the ground bass in unexpected directions. 

Sit and Dance is also dedicated to Paul Dwyer.

Enchanted

Martin Hudson