Name: Free - Floating (2018) by Julian Ward
Duration: 5 min 55 s
Description: Free-Floating is about unresolved unsatisfied expectations. Themes are interrupted before they can resolve and the piece ends with a motivic reiteration that seems to demand that more music should follow, yet is it does not come to pass. There are moments of more reflective material that feels finite. However, the work as a whole, is unresolved.

Free-Floating is about unresolved unsatisfied expectations. Themes are interrupted before they can resolve and the piece ends with a motivic reiteration that seems to demand that more music should follow, yet is it does not come to pass. There are moments of more reflective material that feels finite. However, the work as a whole, is unresolved.

Free - Floating (2018)

This piece was written for the 2018 Charlotte New Music Festival. It was performed by Hypercube, one of the resident ensembles, and the recording is of their live performance. The piece was an experiment in form, with me deciding most of the aspects of the overall shape, harmonic areas, and the general energy, before writing the material. For me, this was different, since before this point, I typically would start developing musical ideas first and then find an overall form in the process.

The music in Spring is Coming (no matter what) is characterized by a gradual shift in intensity, like a crescendo (or a decrescendo). This applies to smaller ideas in the piece, as well as the overall form. As part of the overarching experience, there is a general increase in intensity from the beginning to ending of the piece (with ups and downs in-between). This applies especially to the rhythmic speed of material, which, generally, becomes quicker, and also the harmonic plan, which ends in a different harmonic area than the one that starts the piece. Because of this, it sounds like the piece really arrives when it gets to the final cadence.

The title of this piece is a reference to “An Old Story,” a poem by Mary Oliver, in which she describes the arrival of Spring, “which is coming, all by itself, no matter what.” In the context of the poem, this line evokes thoughts about inevitable changes and things that we can’t control. This seems to reflect the nature of the piece, which is a journey from one place to another.

Spring is Coming (no matter what) [2018]

You can find julian’s personal website here: julianwardmusic.wixsite.com/mysite 

Julian is a musician who composes music and performs a variety of styles and instruments: Instruments include: Flute, drums, voice, piano, guitar, bass guitar, glockenspiel, tin whistle, banjo, etc...

Julian Ward (b.1994) is a native of Greenville, North Carolina and is a recently announced winner for the Beth Ratay Call for Scores for Mezzo Soprano and Voice (2022) with Spirits of the Dead. He won a performance of his fixed media work: Distances in Between for 2022 NYCEMF. Julian won the Beth Ratay Call for Flute (2021), with Vyvirian Folk Songs. He is the co-winner for the 2021 Arcady-RBC Emerging Artist Competition for his piece, Spirits of the Dead. He is also the acceptor of a 2020 performance of Distances In Between for the NYCEMF. Julian was the winner of the fourth-place prize of the Megalopolis Saxophone Orchestra 2019 call for scores for his piece, Lilac Lights (2018). Julian graduated in 2019 from the University of North Carolina Greensboro with a Master of Music degree in composition. In 2017, he graduated from East Carolina University with a Bachelors of Music in flute performance and music composition. Julian writes music for a large variety of ensembles. He has had his music read and or performed by ensembles such as the Beo Quartet, Roomful of Teeth, Michael Lowenstern, Loadbang, Yarn/Wire, the Greensboro Symphony, Sharon Harms, the Red Clay Saxophone Quartet, and others. Julian likes to use many different methods and mixed instrumentation in his works and also draws from various sources and styles to inform his compositional process. Emphasis of timbral character and strong contrasts are elemental to Julian's compositions. He recently collaborated with Isaac Ward, co-composing, engineering, and producing the music and sound-effects for two educational videos by the North Carolina 4-H (2021).

Julian has recently been collaborating with his brother Isaac on a band youtube channel called, Trying to Understand: youtube.com/channel/UCCzsdrmXpIl2RldWsCv58uw

They have also been working together on a more humor focused youtube channel, No Humor is Good Humor (it has music on it as well): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrLU5G-3f8BszE06EGji8dQ

Julian is also a recent co-winner of the Global Film Exhibition’s 2024 prize for an animated short called “May I Go to the Restroom? (which includes original music by isaac and I): https://youtu.be/at6-O-unvQ0?si=khAs7v2l8jMSkpqd

Free - Floating (2018)

Julian Ward

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