In collaboration with “The Art of Autism” organization, I had the amazing opportunity to adapt the poem “The Other Side of the Glass”, by Nikki Satterlund, to music. The poem follows the perspective of someone who is treated differently due to being on the autistic spectrum. The narrator struggles with this idea of being different, misunderstood, and separated from others. Much of this differential treatment comes from being misunderstood, yet the narrator often contemplates if it is their fault. Part way through, the poem takes a turn where the narrator realizes their worth--- they are proud of being different. They even realize that they can experience life in beautiful ways neurotypical people can’t. The ending of the poem shows a new perspective, that diversity is beautiful and powerful.
There are many lessons to be learned from “On the Other Side of the Glass.” The most prominent is that everyone comes with their own challenges, socially, mentally, physically, etc. However, these challenges are what makes us strong. We must accept people for who they are; being on the autistic spectrum does not make someone less than others, it simply gives them different perspectives on life. Lastly, society must do its job to accommodate diverse people. When we can make the accommodations needed, we will find that everyone has very important and unique roles to play in the greater good.

The Other Side of the Glass

Lolita (born c. 1966), also known as Tokitae (Toh-Kee-Tay), is a female orca from the L Pod of southern resident orcas. She has been in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium in Florida since September 24, 1970, after she was captured and taken from her home in the Pacific Ocean. As of 2022, Lolita is the second oldest orca in captivity, and her enclosure (which is 80x35x20) is the smallest whale pen in the world. Lolita has been in this space for over 53 years, most of which have been spent alone, swimming in circles, over and over, as the bright inescapable Florida sun burns her skin. 
80x35x20 is written to tell Lolita’s story. The story is split into 3 seamlessly connected parts. Part 1, “Free Tokitae”, listeners learn about her life in the ocean, free, swimming with her pod. Part 1 is the shortest of the 3 sections in order to represent how most of her life has not been spent freely in the ocean where she belongs. Part 2, “Taken”, tells the story of Lolita’s capturing. Lolita is 1 of 7 whales captured from this violent event on August 1970. “Taken” is designed to recreate the events and feelings of that day from the perspective of Lolita.  Part 3, named “Free Tokitae” tells the story of Lolita’s life in her enclosure. This section showcases the isolation, and angst that Lolita experiences every day, for 53 years and counting. The very end repeats the main melodic idea in the piano, over and over, fading away, to visualize Lolita swimming circles in her tiny tank for eternity. One may notice part 1 and 3 are named the same. However from beginning to end, these names hold vastly different meaning.
The story of Lolita is absolutely heart wrenching, and is something I have known about since the age of 12.  I made this piece for Lolita, but also as a wake-up call to the world; animals aren’t for our entertainment. Afterall, Lolita’s story is just one of millions. As humans, it is our job to stand up for those without a voice, and to bring light to the very harsh realities of what we have done to the world and it’s other inhabitants. Ignorance is bliss, but not for the victims of these dark realities.

Recording: 
Central Washington University New Music Ensemble, May 20th, 2023
Nicholas Sassé, conductor

80x35x20 Premiere

Transient Canvas
Bass Clarinet and Marimba

Recorded in Alba Music Festival, Alba, Italy

June 2023

On White Mountain... (for bass clarinet and marimba)

Paris Fashion Week 2019 Mix

Nicholas James Sasse (B. 2001) is an American composer and clarinetist. Nick has been playing piano since the age of 9, clarinet since he was 10, and composing music since the age of 12. He has studied musical composition at a collegiate level since 2020 under the direction of Dr. Martin Kennedy and later under Dr. Jiyoun Chung. Nick has also participated in and won numerous composers competitions including the Trudie Woll Memorial Composition Competition, been a finalist in other competitions such as the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, and has been a composition fellow for the Alba Music Festival. Nick’s music has been performed both nationally, and internationally.
 Nick considers himself a composer whose goal is to make instrumental music accessible to the common listener. He strongly believes that instrumental music isn’t something that only a trained ear can appreciate; it is something that anybody should be able to understand and enjoy. He furthers his belief in that all music should have a meaning and hold weight in the larger context of the world. Nick constantly pursues this philosophy through his compositions; always drawing meaning to everything he writes. Pulling from many styles, Nick creates music which any person could connect to. His music is not categorized as “simply fun to listen to”, but instead as music which evokes specific emotion in people--- immersing them in environments which better connect them to their own self.


The Other Side of the Glass

Nicholas Sasse

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