Works

Notes from the composer:

Paper Woman is a structured improvisation in five movements, and may be played by any solo instrument. The pitch material is determined by the performer based on instructional/poetic texts for each movement:

1. Jazzwoman

2. Sidewoman

3. Reedwoman

4. Frontwoman

5. Paper Woman

In creating Paper Woman, I was thinking about the history of jazz, the relative scarcity of women improvisers and composers, and the hesitancy of many performers to approach improvisation if they have not been steeped in the jazz tradition. The idea was that the piece could serve as an entry point to improvisation for those who may feel intimidated by it, but also as a flexible and interesting framework for experienced improvisers to explore. The texts of the movements may be interpreted however the player or listener desires, but to me they abstractly reference concepts such as imposter syndrome, motherhood, our innate ability to improvise, the false sanctity of classical music, female strength/fragility, and the lack of women composers in jazz fake books. Out of a combination of these associations, my work with experimental improvisation on the clarinet, and my love for the instruction pieces of Yoko Ono and Pauline Oliveros, Paper Woman was born.

This score may be reproduced and distributed to the audience at any performance, but Paper Woman exists only on paper and may not be scanned or reproduced electronically. If you plan to perform Paper Woman, please purchase your own copy.

Notes from the score:

In jazz slang, a “paper man” was someone who could not improvise. A player could also be called a “jazzman,” “frontman,” “sideman,” or “reedman.” The inversion of this language is presented here for contemplation.

The instructions provide guidelines for improvisation and can be interpreted as desired.

The blank staves may be used to outline pitch material.

This work is designed to be performed by those who have forgotten they can improvise, as well as those who remember well.

Domestic Loops (2023)

for bass clarinet, looping pedal, and fixed media

Domestic Loops, for bass clarinet, looping pedal, and fixed media, explores the repetition and cyclical nature of domestic work and caregiving through prerecorded sounds of appliances and voice with live bass clarinet looping—at times gritty and noisy, at times beautiful. The piece is in three continuous sections: Feeding – Cleaning – Caring. The first two sections explore the grinding exhaustion that can be experienced when taking care of other human beings, while the last section embraces the joy and love that can be given and exchanged through caregiving. The immeasurable value of this work was represented by handmade comfort items such as blankets and pillows at the show. Audience members were encouraged to snuggle, hold, or just contemplate an object and the hours of repetitive sewing, knitting, knotting, or crocheting of the hands that created it.

Self-Seed (2021)

for clarinet duo

Self-Seed is a clarinet duo in which the two parts represent two different “selves.” It can be performed as:

(1) a duo for one clarinetist with multitrack video,

(2) a duo for one clarinetist playing live with a prerecorded audio track, or

(3) as a live duo played by two clarinetists.

Self-Seed has text instructions and written-out sections as well as some improvisational freedom. During the challenges of the pandemic I found comfort both through gardening and in the writings of the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. He describes positive and negative emotions/thoughts as seeds that we can cultivate or not at our own choosing. This idea brought to my mind plants that can self-seed, constantly dying and regrowing. Self-Seed is an interaction between the “worst self” — detuned, angry, and anxious — and “best self,” a source of love and light. The “best self” attempts to calm and comfort the “worst self,” allowing the fruits of negativity to wither and die back, so love can flourish.

Aspects/Respects (2020)

for clarinet and fixed media

Aspects / Respects is a structured improvisation for clarinet and fixed media. The fixed media consists of five brief excerpts from a 2016 interview with William O. Smith. The pitch material derives from one of his favorite twelve-tone rows, essentially a collection of three ascending intervals – major 2nd, minor 3rd, major 2nd, as in the first four notes of “I Got Rhythm” – transposed at three different starting points. The row is filtered through various styles and techniques, as the performer responds to Bill’s voice, meditating on aspects of his life and work, paying respects.