Me, My Mechanical Self

Me My Mechanical Self is ultimately about an individual's growth process as they develop an artistic passion, and discover personal attributes that come out of that process. I write this as I'm in the process of concluding my undergraduate composition studies, and as I look back on years of focused work and development, I find it fascinating how the art we build our lives around shapes us and becomes a rigid part of us.

This piece is in 4 primary sections; the opening is "me and my", a development on a motif representing a more objective personal identity. At this point in the piece the long swell gets stuck and can't seem to move forward. This is followed by an etude-like section, representing the "mechanical" process of developing a craft. The "me my" material returns, and in an intense climax reverses the structure. Rather than the swell halting to a stop, the stop launches the gesture into a free flurry of harmonics. As this material grows, a melody slowly emerges from the texture, representing an arrival at "self".