Text written by Nina Shekhar (composer)
Written for the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE)
Commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association
Gustavo Dudamel, Music & Artistic Director
[redact] attempts to capture the way the human brain reacts to trauma. In the aftermath of a traumatic event, the brain may burn certain details of the event into memory while blocking out other details to protect itself from the emotional and physical pain of the trauma. Perceptions of reality and self may be affected, and it may be extremely difficult to speak about the experience. This piece attempts to sonically portray evolving mental states of one’s brain after trauma. The singer presents a text that is transformed using a series of processes. Through redaction and reordering of words, the text’s meaning is recontextualized and is never presented in its true form.
text:
blow your breath
speak my tongue
cook his bite
that swallowed me
Please note that this piece deals with sensitive, complex, and extreme emotional states that can be challenging to process. If audience members feel uncomfortable at any time during the piece, they are welcome to step out until they feel ready to return.
Performer credits:
Amy Petrongelli, Alice Teyssier, Nina Shekhar (voice)
Benjamin Webster (clarinet)
Nicolas Lell Benavides (tenor saxophone)
Kate Outterbridge, Maiani da Silva, Nicholas Bentz (violin)
Alexander Mansour (cello)
Aidan Gold (percussion)
June 1st, 2019
LA Philharmonic’s Noon to Midnight Festival
(sponsored by the National Composers Intensive)
Performed by the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE)
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Los Angeles, California
March 10th, 2020
Nina Shekhar: Master’s Recital
Video by Xuan
Joyce J. Cammilleri Hall (Brain and Creativity Institute), University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA
December 1st, 2020
Chicago Artists Workshop: Xuan
Video screening: video by Xuan
Virtual event presented by Eighth Blackbird
Chicago, IL
July 30th, 2021
Missouri International Composers Festival: Entry Points of Empathy
Video by Xuan
Concert hosted by ANTiCX Collective
University of Missouri, Columbia, MO (live and streamed concert)
