Brittle Star

Program Note:

Brittle Star marked the first time I employed what I now refer to as a “weaving technique.” I began by crafting a small musical cell using fragments of a folk song, and I distributed its pitches across a spectrum of tonal relationships guided by a matrix of “chordal space.”

The piece is named after the brittle star, a deep-sea creature that moves along the ocean floor with delicate, spindly arms. This image resonated with the aesthetic of the piece—a slow, winding expansion—and with the idea of engaging subconscious perceptions of tonal stability. My hope is that this interplay evokes a sense of longing and quiet unrest.