Composer Highlight: Ivonne Paredes / by and Play

Hello all! We are kicking off this busy week of composer highlights with Ivonne! Maya met Ivonne last year at a workshop in Kansas City, KA, and since then they have been friends and interested in working together. andPlay is looking forward to presenting Ivonne's duo, Copa Negra, at our upcoming show on January 23rd at 7 PM @ Spectrum. We are splitting the bill with the wonderful Martha Cargo, so come out if you can for all of the fun times, tunes, and treasures!


Tell us a bit about your piece.

Copa Negra was named after a poem by Peruvian poet Cesar Vallejo. Each movement of the piece has been named after the first word from each stanza. Vallejo is one of my favorite poets; his works definitely reflect his complex persona.

 

Did you have any particularly invigorating or difficult times when writing your piece for andPlay?

Definitely! I think it started well (I was making a lot of progress when I started working on it), but I found myself stuck by the second movement. Then the third and fourth were not that difficult to complete. The last movement - specially the ending - was hard. I just could not make up my mind about it!

What music has most recently inspired you (to write, dance, sing, be a better person, etc.)?

 

I'm not sure about lately, but since last year I started listening to some metal (Mastodon to be specific). I have been listening to them while working out, cleaning, doing work, etc. Metal music makes me do things faster and keeps me going through my day. Try it!

 

You are stranded on a desert island. What snack do you bring?

Chocolates. Lots of them.

 

Lastly, do you have a fun fact that you have learned recently?

Yes. Do you know that David Bowie got a constellation named after him? The Starman is now really among the stars.

 

You can check out more of Ivonne's work on any or all of these social media platforms!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ivonneparedes.composer

Twitter: @ivonnekparedes

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ivonne-paredes

Website: ivonneparedes.com