Pareeksha

With the current trials and tribulations that we are living through, I felt a strong urge to write an angry, intense piece. The Hindi word Pareeksha aptly captures the feeling of being tested by the political, environmental, and health challenges we face. As with much of my music, this piece draws from Indian ragas for source material. It is also heavily inspired by the spirited and driving rhythmic patterns found in Carnatic music (South Indian classical style). Although there is no specific narrative, the piece moves through emotions of anger, frustration, yearning, melancholy, restlessness, aggression, and oppression. Even so, there are moments of beauty and stillness, and at the very end, a sense of defeat leads to an unsettled peace.