Today is the day! I hope to see all of your lovely faces at Cornelia Street Cafe tonight at 9 PM! Doors open at 8:30 if you feel like having first pick of seating.
We are looking forward to bringing Ryan's White Elephant to you tonight! It is a mesmerizing piece that is sure to enchant.
Read Ryan's words and we will see you all later!
What was the inspiration for this piece?
This work is the first part of a larger piece for dancers, video, and violin/viola/zither. Basically all of the material is derived from (or some sort of arrangement of) the first ten measures of Carlo Gesualdo's keyboard work Canzone Francese del Principe. I wanted to break apart this music on a microscopic level so that it becomes its own little internal world, one that exposes it's raw insides, not unlike a cadaver flipped inside out. Gross.
Don't worry about the title. It's worthless.
What are you most excited for this spring?
Flowers. Duh.
What is your favorite and/or least favorite thing about writing for the violin/viola combo?
Well, I have to be more specific to answer this question. My favorite things about writing for andPlay, the violin and viola duo, are the following:
-You let me put a zither part in the piece
-You are very patient with me
-You let me drop the viola A string down a 6th and it's awesome.
SNACKS! Give us some fresh ideas. What are you snacking on these days?
SNACKS! I'm all about snacks! Ginger coated in chocolate with a bit of sea salt is heavenly rooted in root heaven.
Tell us something we don't know (about you, about your music, or about the world in general).
I have a little bump on my lip where I split my lip wide open after wiping out on a BMX dirt track. Ryan at age 13 thought he was down right invincible. I couldn't help but smile when the doctor put in my stitches so when the wound healed, it formed a bump on my lip that could have been avoided if I took life a little more seriously.
Don't smile after you wipe out like a damn fool.