eed
fProgram note:
'Feed' is a piece of music about our society’s compulsive relationship with social media. It reflects on the agitation caused by this constant influx of data. Across the whole piece, a single musical idea is developed, growing longer and longer, but is constantly interrupted and imposed upon by chattering and intrusive episodes. These moments depict various states of distraction and unease, two of them directly portraying an endlessly scrolling stream of content; in these places, the orchestration emulates an auditory illusion called a Shepard tone.
The orchestra ends up in a sort of conversation with itself about whether or not to give its attention to these musical distractions, at times lashing out aggressively to put a stop to them, and at others easing back into the comfort and familiarity of the theme that acts as the backbone of the piece. In addition to the more standard orchestral instrumentation, 'Feed' has a prominent part for drum set. It creates a frantic energy in places, helping to distinguish the main musical ideas from the interrupting episodes, and propelling the music forward in others. It's a sound I've wanted to pair with the orchestra for a while now, since it is so versatile and so ingrained in our collective ear.
About the Piece
***Winner of ASCAP’s Rudolf Nissim Prize
Instrumentation: Large Orchestra
3333-4331-timp, 3 perc, pno-hp-str
Duration: ~ 15 minutes
© 2018
More about this Piece :
This piece was premiered by the Juilliard Orchestra with conductor Jeff Milarsky in February, 2019.
Scores available for purchase.
For parts rental and other inquiries, see the Contact page.