Instrumentation: Solo Piccolo

Duration: 5’

Program Notes:‍ ‍What is music notation if not just ink on a page? When did composers become hyper fixated on the appearance of the music so much so that the creativity, connection, the very act of making the music has been neglected? The page is just a means of communication, a set of instructions to help guide the musicians, it is not the music. The music lives in the liminal space that exists only in a fleeting moment. It is expressive and creates space for connection. You can not see it, nor can you hold it in your hand, but you can feel it. You feel it in your bones, in your heart, in your soul. It’s best not to blink or you might. Just. Miss it.

I choose the messy creative process because that is where I find the music. It’s not on neat little lines with dots perfectly spaced as if mass produced in a factory. It’s in all of the pen scratches and scribbles from exploration that the music emerges. I am far more interested in sharing a moment of genuine connection than fixating on following “all the rules” to make sure all of the dots are in a row.

Red Ink Pages is a collection of works for solo instruments about reclaiming self confidence and strength. It’s about putting it all out there, being vulnerable, taking up space, finding beauty in the imperfections, sharing a moment, and finding the creative fire within yourself that no one can put out.

I have a tendency to hold myself back, make myself small, and limit my own creativity because I’m still “allowing” someone else to dot my music with red ink and tell me that I’m a mistake. I have power over my own art, I am allowed to take up space and I’m reclaiming the color red in the process.

Rocket Red is written for my dear friend Nicole. This piece is about taking up space, being who you are, and letting your light shine. It is loud and high, just let her rip. It can be scary to take up space especially when you are exposed and society has told you to be small. You don’t need to worry about blending with an ensemble or sticking out too much, let the piccolo do it’s thing and take up all of the space. No more hiding.

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