To Be Heard

This piece follows a programmatic narrative that represents the perpetual struggle of discovering oneself, fully expressing oneself, and placing ourselves within or outside of societal norms. The concept for this piece grew out of reflections on my own experience as an Indian-American teenager and young adult, grappling with issues of identity, individualism, and societal expectations. A music ensemble is an apt role model to explore interactions between individual and collective. Each player in the ensemble is a critical member who must project their individuality while also contributing to the larger whole. This piece provides a space for each musician to explore different modes of interaction with one another, moving through states of cacophony, confusion, pressure, chaos, but ultimately, collaboration and harmony.