Projects
The stories, pieces, and events behind some of my favorite projects.
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The Emlen Artist Co-Lab (2022 - present)
This project started in 2022 with a residency back home in Montana from Open AIR and was one of my impetuses to work in tandem with scientific research. I, as well as choreographer Julynn Wildman, was paired with the Emlen Evolutionary Biology Lab that is researching the reasons behind the mating songs and dances of the Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle. Having enjoyed each other's work and process of translating scientific data to sound and movement, we formed the Emlen Artist Co-Lab to create a longer work combining our two disciplines. After many pivots and adaptations, the project has included two residencies working with students from the University of Montana, two artist talks, the world premiere of the music, public dance workshops, and we look forward to the premiere of the documentary in Spring of 2025.
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Toads and Tardigrades (2021 - present)
My collaboration with amazing librettist, Kendra Preston Leonard, created on the foundation of environmental justice, research-informed art, and hope and humor in the face of despair. We have one shorter piece, The Radiolaria Salute You, in two arrangements about the life and work of a paleontologist looking for a premiere and have just opened a commission consortium for our short opera, The Tardigrade Presents the End of the World.
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Shades of Colorado (2022 - 2024)
This piece, written as part of the Denver Botanic Garden's Landline Residency, evolved from its original conception which was a single deep dive into a sole subject, into a 7-movement suite about 7 natural features of "Colorful Colorado". A favorite project to note as this was my first piece that I fully integrated music and visuals into the final product.
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Diabelli Recomposed (2021 - 2023)
While not a project I was an active collaborator in, I could not be more honored to be a contributing composer. Instigated by German Musicologist, Claudia Bigos, Diabelli Recomposed, retook the Diabelli Variations and compiled 50 new variations by women-identifying composers from 22 different countries. I am number 13.
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THINGS THAT BREAK (2017 - 2018)
This was the first project I put together independently as well as involved the composition of four new pieces. I worked with three other amazing artists and friends spanning artistic disciplines; Sonya Harris in photography and storytelling, Becky Joy Aitken in stop-motion animation, and Aimee Hong in theatrical performance. While we all created our individual works on the theme of breaking, there was also overlap; Sonya's photography was projected during my pieces, I composed the soundtracks to Becky's animations, and Aimee mc'ed the transitions between the works.
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We Are All Here (2016 - 2017)
One of two major compositional projects I worked on during my time as a Teaching Artist with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. A collaboration with local non-profit, Path With Art, We Are All Here was the final leg of a three tiered project - first poetry, then banners, and finally music - addressing Seattle homelessness crisis. I, along with my co-Teaching Artist, designed and led a 16-week collaborative composition course with adult students from Path With Art to write a piece that was ultimately performed by Seattle Symphony musicians and the students themselves.
One of two major compositional projects I worked on during my time as a Teaching Artist with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. A collaboration with local non-profit, Path With Art, We Are All Here was the final leg of a three tiered project - first poetry, then banners, and finally music - addressing Seattle homelessness crisis. I, along with my co-Teaching Artist, designed and led a 16-week collaborative composition course with adult students from Path With Art to write a piece that was ultimately performed by Seattle Symphony musicians and the students themselves.
- Course: 16-weeks
- Premiere: April 2017
The Lullaby Project (2015 - 2019, 2024)
The other compositional project I was deeply grateful to be a part of during my time at a Teaching Artist, both for the project itself and the opportunity to learn a tremendous amount early in my compositional career. An extension of the Carnegie Hall program, we worked with mother's from Mary's Place to write lullabies for their children. Over the years, I did everything from working with the mothers to create their lullabies, arranged and fleshed out what was created, led rehearsals and recording sessions, and one year, did all of the above. After 4 years of doing the project as a Seattle Symphony employee, I was overjoyed to be asked back in 2024 as an independent contractor.
The other compositional project I was deeply grateful to be a part of during my time at a Teaching Artist, both for the project itself and the opportunity to learn a tremendous amount early in my compositional career. An extension of the Carnegie Hall program, we worked with mother's from Mary's Place to write lullabies for their children. Over the years, I did everything from working with the mothers to create their lullabies, arranged and fleshed out what was created, led rehearsals and recording sessions, and one year, did all of the above. After 4 years of doing the project as a Seattle Symphony employee, I was overjoyed to be asked back in 2024 as an independent contractor.