Path to Enlightenment
Instrumentation: Wind Ensemble
Duration: 10'
Program Notes
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound effect on the world around us. It has isolated us from our friends and family and made us rethink how we live our daily life. However, there is one positive I am able to take from the pandemic. As I was stuck in isolation, I finally had the opportunity to reflect upon my life. Throughout the pandemic, I looked at how I had been living my life up to that point and was able to identify aspects of my lifestyle that I liked and disliked. I was also able to look into life with a more spiritual mindset and explore the world around me from that lens. Path to Enlightenment details my own journey of self-reflection through the pandemic. The first movement, Conflict, represents the initial struggles of self- reflection. When I first started to reflect on my life, I became overwhelmed as I realized all that I disliked about my lifestyle. However, as I gathered my thoughts I was able to come to a place where I was more accepting of myself. This transformation is detailed in the second movement, Resolution. Overall, the pandemic provided all of humanity with time to self-reflect on our past, present, and future, and through this process, has allowed us to come out stronger than ever.
