Bloodorange

Program Note

Bloodorange (2016), stereo electroacoustic music, is inspired by several cultural norms that I don't understand. The terse version... these cultural norms have to do with pride over seemingly obscure things and the investment of time and personal happiness into things that are random (or unknown). The title refers to bleeding orange and not to the fruit. The color here is not important, just the idea of blood-color-changing levels of obsession. All the sound sources for Bloodorange are from field recordings of some of these cultural events. Further, the approach to contrast and the development of musical materials is inspired by these notions.

The piece was composed primarily utilizing an interactive algorithmic process coded in Max/MSP. The code focuses on controlling polyphonic layers of granular synthesis (grainstretch~ in a poly~) and a signal routing matrix that governs additional signal processing.

Performance Information

• Premiere: BSU EM|One Electroacoustic Music Concert, Muncie, Indiana, September 25, 2018.
• West Fork New Music Festival, Fairmont State University, West Virginia, September 26, 2018.
• WVU SCI Invitational Conference, Morgantown, West Virginia, October 19–20, 2018.
• BSU Faculty Composer’s Forum Concert, Muncie, Indiana, October 22, 2018.
• UIUC EMS 60^th Anniversary Festival, November 16–17, 2018.

Recording