String Quartet No. 6 - "Reflections"
Duration: 23:30
PDF digital download of score and parts.
Performance Rights through BMI.
Program Notes:
Throughout my life, my music has been inspired by the great "Americana" composers such as Copland, Bernstein, and Ives. With this quartet, I wanted to reflect on what it means to be American. The special thing about being American is that it is different for everyone, because our identity is made up of fragments that reflect the people around us. For instance, my version of America includes a deeply rooted Asian culture. Forming a melodic throughline from these diverse fragments is the basis of the first movement. The American Dream is also a journey that differs for each individual: the second movement bubbles and echoes motifs from the first, as if from a distant world. Finally, being American means wandering through the unknown possibilities the future holds for each of us, and creating our own path along the way—a path that mirrors the experiences we've had and the people we've met.