Modus Operandi (pt.2)

Yesterday I talked about the initial concept behind this creation. So how would I turn this into a music statement?

- Blind, unquestioning devotion can be dangerous.

To me, blind devotion is madness. I have to believe that questioning your own faith is not only human, but it's what makes having faith truly a strength, and not a mindless weakness. This meant that I had to embody "madness" in this piece - rhythmically, melodically, and harmonically.

- One must be wary of creating something greater than their control.

I wanted this piece to sound "mechanical", like the ensemble was the inner workings of some diabolical machine, and because it was a wind ensemble piece, I wanted each player to sound like a single cog that made the piece turn. That meant thinking about orchestration in terms of the individual (or the instrument, or the section), rather than as a big mushy harmonic mass.

- Momentum, however gradual, can become very, very powerful.

I wanted this piece to begin small and snowball into something HUGE, and I wanted the pulse to be relentless. This is a challenge, because by ruling out the possibility of tempo changes, I was taking one strong form of musical expression. But the limitations are also what help define the creation - the confines make creativity and resourcefulness an absolute necessity.