Suggestions of Motion
ensemble alto saxophone, piano
written summer 2019
duration 6 minutes
premiered November 19 2019, Cohen-Davison Hall, Peabody Conservatory by Caleb Shannon (sax), Sohyun Moon (pno.)
I've always thought of the saxophone as a stunningly agile and mercurial character, perhaps thanks to all the big band/Hollywood jazz I heard in various soundtracks growing up. As such, I knew when I started writing this piece that I would want to try and capture the electric energy I had long associated with the instrument. It was perhaps fitting that I ended up writing the piece during an especially busy time, my mind alternating between overdrive and exhaustion. These two moods defined the arc and character of Suggestions of Motion, a piece that seeks to find coherence amidst quick slashes of motion and brick-heavy moments of stillness.