how we are made
composed in 2008 - for string quartet
how we are made is inspired by another of my extra-musical interests, the study of evolutionary biology and genetics. Evolution has often been used as a metaphor for the creation of a musical work; Schoenberg's "developing variation" offers a very Darwinian look at how musical elements change and evolve through gradual development into what are essentially new organisms.
how we are made doesn't seek to imitate this process, but instead draws upon a variety of different ideas inspired from evolution. The proportions of the work, along with some of the rhythmic patterns, are drawn from the human genome itself. The genome, the plan of human life, is conveniently written using four chemical bases, which also corresponds nicely to a quartet. These are merely cosmetic similarities; ideas of diversity in sound, the development and transformation of elements, the random mutation as inciting event, and the notion that survival means adaptation and evolution, while stagnation means extinction, are all drawn from this fascinating field.
how we are made is in 5 parts; they are performed attaca.
how we are made
1. 4-base Songs
2. Double-Helix Dances
4. Devolving Songs
