This is a piece that I wrote while pursuing my Master's degree at the University of Illinois in 2021. It is a piece about domestic abuse, including the process of gaslighting and various assaults that a survivor may experience.

... over and over and...

Miranda Schreiber's composition "Guitar Quartet No. 1" received its world premiere by Miguel Lumbao, Jackson Miller, Matthew Kwon, and Angelo Favis on October 26th, 2020 at Illinois State University.

Program Notes:

Most of the pieces that I compose are absolute; they exist just for the beauty of music itself and the natural emotions that it brings to each individual. However, I sometimes develop a programmatic interpretation of my own compositions as I gain a deeper understanding of them. Guitar Quartet No. 1 is one of these pieces.


I believe that music is like a person. A melody is like a person's voice - it has words and intonation, as well as a unique timbre in every person or instrument. Music's body language is expressed through rhythm, while music's emotions and facial expressions are predominantly expressed through the harmony. All of this is what makes music so humanistic.


The chill groove at the beginning of the piece represents our daily lives, as we often let our bodies go through the usual routine of everyday life. The main theme is presented shortly thereafter, representing our voice. The canon takes this voice and envelops us in it, making us feel lost in our own thoughts. Our inner thoughts are interrupted when a new texture arrives with harmonic development, making us take the time to meditate or pray. We take this moment to rest and reflect on life. It is towards the end of the piece that we celebrate the realization that there is something greater than ourselves which allows us to live life as intended.

Miranda Schreiber

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