Puddle
reed quintet
(2020)

Duration: 7 minutes, 30 seconds

Commissioned by Akropolis Reed Quintet

Premiered Summer 2021
Together We Sound
Detroit MI

Composer’s Note

M.C. Escher created a piece called Puddle, 1952 that shows the reflection of trees and sky in a puddle made by depressions in the dirt from tires and footsteps. I chose to recognize Escher’s work in this new piece for Akropolis Reed Quintet because of the image’s capacity to encapsulate so many different story lines in one plane of view. One cannot see what is behind or above—in Escher’s case, the trees in the sky—without looking at the paths taken by others through the mud; there is a dependence on the independent motion of others in order to better see your own surroundings.

I had the good fortune of speaking individually with each member of the quintet before I started writing Puddle; I asked them what their favorite things about the quintet were and what they found they missed the most about the group during the pandemic. I was struck by their individual identities alongside the deep common bond they have through working together in this ensemble. Each celebrates the individuality of the members, but acknowledges that all five of them need to be together in order for the unit to work. They missed the balance of personalities and the way they challenge one another to be better and grow. In this piece, I wanted to harness the bond between members of Akropolis Reed Quintet, and to highlight their current separation.