for wind quintet

Composed 2019

 

I find it fascinating how much we can tell about people simply by the way they move.  Certain physical gestures convey a great deal of personality: whether a person struts or sulks, races or relaxes, paints a distinct portrait of their character. With this piece, I sought to depict physical motions I felt had vivid “personalities” (hence, Caricatures in Motion).  

The five “movements” (wordplay intended) are as follows: marching, crawling, convulsing, meandering, and dancing.  In the spirit of caricature, I distort and exaggerate the motions musically, yielding bizarre and often comical characters.  Thus, I encourage you not only to listen, but also to imagine these caricaturized people, and watch how they move through space.