Signature

String quartet doubling on objects | contact for score

Premiered 27 April 2019 by The Rhythm Method at the Dimenna Centre (NYC) as part of the "Permutations” series.

Program notes: Signature (2016) explores the sonic qualities of simple gestures made everyday, regardless if it is thought of as musical or not. Rather than the traditional sound of a string instrument, Signature focuses on the movement and sounds produced by the initial contact of the bow on the instrument. I draw this musical link to writing on paper, when a temporary sound but lasting visual cue is created that can take on the form of a love letter, a list of notes, or simple doodle drawings.

In Signature, I attempt to show the personality of sound by linking the gestures required to create it and the actual sound itself. A performer’s tone and phrasing is just as iconic as their movements and personality. Likewise, when each of us signs our name, it is an inimitable creation of sound and calligraphy unique to the individual. The use of bracelets and costuming also attempt to show the freedom of choice and the resulting beauty, both sonic and visual, that our choices and movements make.