Namaste ​(stereo fixed media)

​Nearly all of the source material used to create Namaste was taken from field recordings that I made while traveling through Myanmar (Burma) and Nepal. My primary interest in composing the piece was to explore the culture and my own experiences through the recordings captured during my time in these two countries. Naturally, the most interesting and important recordings where those of the people. The material was separated and organized into fragmented rhythmic patterns and phrases. These rhythms, derived from the vocal phrases, were then used as the fundamental building blocks to create each gesture. All other material was then “hung” around this rhythmic framework. With this piece I want to convey the contradictions, juxtapositions, and complexity of emotions I felt when visiting these places. At one moment, there is a complete bombardment of the senses, in which a chaos of unfamiliar sounds, sights, and smells almost completely overwhelms you, whereas immediately afterwards, you find yourself in the serene quiet of an ancient temple or in a local back alley.