About the work and its thematic content:
	
unBroken begins inside the mind of the individual afflicted with mental illness.  Overlapping pitches and pleasant dissonance reflect the workings of a mind in conversation with itself.  The “family” motive, a series of five notes articulated in the piano, is first introduced here (representing my parents, myself, and my two brothers).  The “mind” theme, a three note motive that conveys both beauty and peace (D-flat, C, A-flat), is first heard in the tenor voices and is repeated as the thought cloud develops.  However, it becomes distorted by a half step (D-flat, C, A), introducing an element of bitterness.  Warning signs and cracks begin to become evident as various thoughts and emotions race and compete with each other until the individual cries out to silence them.
	A solo flute introduces the next segment, as the individual tries to navigate the world and their life.  The melody (“Shirley’s Theme”) is hopeful, melancholy, and brave.  As it continues, it becomes distracted as the inner mind begins to exert more and more influence on the outer life.  A twelve-tone matrix is first heard in the piano, as the individual’s ability to cope begins to waver.  A dialogue ensues in which the individual tries to assert their hold on the illness, assuring everyone that they are fine. The theme becomes more and more desperate as the individual struggles to keep themselves together; they make one last herculean attempt before the inevitable break occurs.
	The work takes on a sinister, playful character as the individual enters a manic state.   The clarinet introduces a new melody which is built on the distorted mind motive and leads the listener through a series of short episodes as the individual’s mood and character change violently.    Thoughts rush, leading nowhere, and in a whirl of turmoil and noise, the individual sees the world and themselves through a distorted lens.  The atonal matrix and distorted mind motives are combined into a cacophony of rage and destruction as the individual loses control of their life.
	In the silence that follows, a lone clarinet sounds, bravely pulling itself from the wreckage.  The individual begins the difficult process of acknowledging the illness and beginning to face it.  Its strength and its confidence build until it emerges into a fanfare that is simultaneously triumphant and melancholy, able to cope with its problems but aware of the challenges that lie ahead in living with this burden.  The main theme returns as the individual resumes their life, unbroken and whole, but changed. The work ends as it began, inside the mind of the individual.  There is still dissonance, but the dissonance is pleasant and peaceful.  The final crescendo sounds as the individual looks towards the future with hope.

unBroken (Grade 5, Randall Standridge)

Randall Standridge