3' etude for solo piano
PROGRAM NOTE:
Thoughts From A Restless Afternoon was written for pianist Jihye Chang as part of her virtual residency at Rutgers University. Having known Chang since I attended the Brevard Music Institute in 2018 (where I composed Bar Fight of the Marionettes), I wanted to compose a piece that would show off her astounding control of color and texture, as well as her technical prowess at the piano.
Shortly after beginning to work on this piece, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic reached the Rutgers Community. With the university shut down, I returned to my home at the Jersey Shore. All of my artistic plans were cancelled including; playing trumpet in performances of the Verdi Requiem and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, receiving the world premieres of Thank You, Mr. Mosher, and Gravity, and returning to the Brevard Music Institute in the summer of 2020.
My disappointment in these lost opportunities could not come close to the pain of the family, friends, and community members around me whom had experienced loss of life, work, and security. I found myself in a peculiar position in which I could not ethically mourn my lost opportunities as an artist while so many other people were experiencing much more serious loss. This created a cloud of anxiety, frustration, and restlessness that I know people experienced around the world.
The resulting piece is an uncensored reflection on a time that proved to be just one of many challenges the world would face in 2020. Jihye Chang recorded the piece from her home in Florida on May 4th, 2020.
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