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Solo
2023
Live Electronics
Piano
- Program Notes
- "Squint Skyward and Listen—" is a work for solo piano and electronics, written for—and dedicated to—my good friend Justin Ortez. The piece draws its harmonic material from two songs: “Emily” by Joanna Newsom and “A Case of You” by Joni Mitchell. Justin is arguably the biggest fan in the world of both of these artists—I doubt he would dispute this—so it felt fitting to draw from their music when writing a piece for him. Newsom’s lyrics in “Emily” inspired the structure of the work, with each section of the score being marked with a different lyrical excerpt. Imagery of staring up at the sky—either a bright blue expanse with a blazing sun or a vast night sky full of stars—appears throughout the song, and served as inspiration for the rising musical gestures that occur throughout "Squint Skyward." At multiple points in the piece, the performer strums chords on the strings inside the piano, meant to evoke the chords Joni Mitchell strums on a mountain dulcimer at the beginning of “A Case of You.” Electronically, the sound world of the piece is quite similar to much of my recent electronic work, featuring glittering bells, sparkling synths, and the occasional thumping bass line. By marrying my personal electronic sensibility to piano writing evocative of Justin’s favorite artists, "Squint Skyward and Listen—" is a musical tribute to one of the most significant friendships of my life.
- Performer Credits
- Justin Paul Ortez
- External Links