portfolio of creative work
1) Memories of the Imagined (2023-24)
Performed by Unheard-of//Ensemble
Produced and mixed by David Crowell
Artist Statement:
Memories of the Imagined is a 25-minute piece in four movements for an amplified ensemble of violin, singing cellist, bass clarinet, and piano, with electronics, and performed by the Unheard-of//Ensemble. In this work, the concept of memory is explored through a multiplicity of approaches to phrasing and temporal expression, contracting or expanding the listener’s sense of passing time and its effect on the act of remembering. This understanding of time contrasts a circular, discontinuous approach to musical phrasing with an overall sense of linear development and narrative tied to the expansion of harmonic elements in the work. Almost all of the electronic sounds in Memories of the Imagined come directly from the instrumentalists themselves, through manipulation of original samples. In this way, the relationship between the performers and electronics also connect to the idea of memory, the sonic evolution of sounds separated by technological intervention but referring back to the same essential core.
***Suggested initial listening: Mov 2, pages 34-53 in score
Click link below for score:
2) Woven in Earth and Sky (2021)
Performed by A Far Cry
Live Recording from a performance at Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C.
Artist Statement:
Woven in Earth and Sky meditates on the passage of time and development of interdependent relationships, drawing inspiration for its initial passages from Hildegaard Von Bingen, Tallis, and Palestrina. The integration and transformation of historical reference into modern expression occurs most fully in the later stages of the piece, completing the journey from medieval to present time. The last sections of Woven in Earth and Sky also represent a peak level of contrapuntal density, like the massive underground networks that develop to support the ecosystem of an old growth forest. As a conductor less orchestra, A Far Cry reflects a similar progression toward an interwoven consciousness, with individual instruments increasingly drawn deeper into the sonic landscape.
Click link below for score:
3) 2 Hours in Zadar (2022)
Performed by eco|tonal (David Crowell & Iva Casian Lakos)
Produced and mixed by David Crowell
Artist Statement:
In Zadar, located on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, there is a sea organ. Resonating tubes lie underneath a series of marble steps, with the pitches of each tube triggered by the frequency and strength of the waves entering their sound chambers. A beautiful concept, and so intriguing that the cellist/singer Iva Casian-Lakos and I made a special detour in order to spend several hours with this unique marvel. For Dalmatians, the sea is not just a place to swim or have a fun day out; it is profoundly integrated into the art and culture of society, a reference point and a reflecting mirror, a living character with many moods. To watch the sea “play” the organ is symbolic of this connection. Though Casian-Lakos was born and raised in Ohio, she spent multiple months of every year in Croatia; her mother, Nela Lakos (author of the Croatian text used), has roots across Dalmatia. The first section of 2 Hours in Zadar explores the fragility of memory, the feeling of knowing a place so well that you can’t fully comprehend the depth of your own experience. As such, the music is infused with a heavy feeling of nostalgia. Samples of Zadar’s sea organ first appear in the second section, alongside Casian-Lakos’ ritualistic recitation of repetitive, chant like motives. Here the sea presents a darker, stormier mood, and the voice and cello are heard alternately as strongly present and far off in the distance. But ultimately, as stated in the text, she does not give in to the sea. Another layer of meaning resides in Casian-Lakos’ experience as a first generation American and the desire to fluently move between her different cultural heritages (she is also Mexican). Casian-Lakos speaks Croatian with a native accent but does not consider herself fully fluent; in the first section bits of recited text are chopped up through processes of granular synthesis, projecting a stuttering, hesitant approach to the language. This tentativeness coexists with a beautifully sung solo in perfect Croatian, a contradiction which represents her struggle to fully connect with Dalmatian culture.
***Due to the nature of the piece, there is no formal score. Please click link below for a description of the compositional process: