Surrounded

vc + vib, 4' (2015)

This piece was written in October 2015 as I struggled to officially begin my PhD in music composition, enjoying the compositional work but feeling trapped by an endless stream of extra-musical work assisting the music department and surrounded by University politics. The night before I set out to write this short piece for vibraphone and cello, I had a night full of horrible nightmares, probably induced by the stress I was feeling. However, in between two completely different nightmares that I remember nothing about except the feeling of extreme fear, I had the most random and vividly tactile dream about holding a soft, warm, loving furry animal of some kind – all the sweet animal wanted was to be surrounded by my arms. The sounds of this piece express many different ways of being “surrounded” and the feelings that go along with it. 

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