What Happens When We Move

Title: What Happens When We Move
Year Completed: 2018
Duration: 3 mins
Instrumentation: voice and soundfiles
Credits: Commissioned by Fifth Wind and Wind Quintet International for Forecasting the
Canadian Wind – a Canada 150 Project supported by the Canada Council for the Arts - New Chapter. Premiered by Blythwood Winds, Choros, Fifth Wind, Mistral 5
Premiere: Choros Wind Quintet, Montreal September 2018

Inspired by the fluid reality of human movement. The history of Canada reaches far beyond 150 years, and encompasses millennia of human existence and movement on this land. In recent centuries this land has witnessed the interactions of Indigenous peoples and settlers, their descendants, and continuing immigration as well as internal movement of people within the borders known as Canada. The current reality is more transient than ever before, with speeds of travel faster than ever, cultures from around the globe living together, and continuing transplanting+re-rooting of people in any demographic.

I explore different forms of movement in five miniatures in What Happens When We Move. At times I ask players to physically move or travel in the performance space, as a visual analogy and ideally one that will be audible as well.

Movement 1 - Arrivals - We all arrived from some other place, at some other time. Indigenous and Inuit people were here for millennia before others arrived. Then came settlers, immigrants, refugees, travellers, tourists. Each of our stories and journeys are different and are entwined. Arrivals experiments with sonic and physical interactions and encounters.

Movement 2 - Meetings - The delicate, subtle, intimate relationships between individuals, and the brash but exciting unity of large groups moving together.

Movement 3 - Mixing - Making one voice heard above the rest. Individuality versus the group.

Movement 4 - Taking Places - Displacement, direct confrontation, overpowering through dynamics and physical displacement.

Movement 5 - We Move Together Now - Strength in unity, respect, diversity and cooperation.