written for Dither as a part of their concert in collaboration with NYU composers

Premiered at the NYU Steinhardt Education Building Room 303 on March 3rd, 2024

link to livestream

Duration: 9 minutes

Program Notes:

“When the Unknown Will Surround You” is a lyric from the song Levitation by the band Beach House. This lyric in particular has resonated with me for a few years now, and when writing this piece it became about feelings of nostalgia before facing new places and experiences. 

I’m constantly in awe of Beach House’s ability to evoke nostalgia through these goosebump-inducing musical moments. More specifically, the “dream pop” duo’s hauntingly beautiful vocals and hypnotizing guitar & synth accompaniment always deliver the most beautiful and satisfying endings to their songs. This piece is inspired by one of these moments from the song Levitation, as well as some of my favorite guitar playing throughout the alternative rock genre from Sigur Rós, Sweet Trip, Big Thief, and A Beacon School, to name a few.