Program Notes

Over the past year, I have become increasingly interested in synthesizers and synthesis, especially analog subtractive synthesis. This process involves starting with a waveform, then filtering out and “subtracting” frequencies to create the desired tone. This process starts with tuning oscillators. There is something so satisfying about the act of tuning an oscillator as you are setting up the blank canvas of noise from which you can carve your own sonic idea. Working with and programming patches on a synthesizer is also such a tactile experience in a way that notated composition often is not. As you sound design, you receive real-time feedback as the tone, timbre, and resonance of the instrument change as you alter parameters. Oscillator Study No. 1 is the first in a series of works exploring the utilization of synthesis techniques in notated composition. This work explores a collection of “patches” made through creative orchestration of flute and cello. Throughout the composition process, I focused on techniques more commonly used in electronic music, such as an emphasis on ADSR (attack, delay, sustain, release), when creating each patch. I also thought of ways to manufacture effects such as reverb, resonance, and delay, incorporating these into the various sound worlds of the work. The work also emphasizes “noise”, exploring the expressive range of the instruments that exists outside of pitch.