University of Hawaii Saxophone Ensemble (Todd Yukumoto, director)
Lately I’ve developed an interest in photography, and the parallels between that art and music are always in my mind. Whether one is composing a new piece or taking a photograph, one must consider some of the same basic principles: proportion, color and form. Some of the most striking photographs are taken using long exposures, photos in which the tail lights of a passing car may paint vivid red streaks across the frame. In Blur I’ve attempted to recreate that effect through sound. Throughout the piece the saxophones play long tones that sweep across the texture like crisscrossing beams of color, while other instruments often create undulating textures. Ideally, I imagine this piece being played in a gallery full of long-exposure photos, but the concert hall works just as well. The piece was commissioned by the Hawai‘I Saxophone Foundation, and is dedicated to Todd Yukumoto and the University of Hawai‘i Saxophone Choir.
