The chords In My Life an ongoing project I started in 2015. The piece is essentially a series chords each written on a single index card and has a name of a person written above the staff. Each of these chords is a representation of a person in my life. The criteria for a chord is very subjective, there is no exact rule on how I decide to write a chord for someone rather, an intuitive feeling takes place. Generally, if I feel like an impact has been made on my life by a person then I’ll make a chord for them. This means some chords are made from life long friends or family and some chords are for people I have met just once or perhaps not even in person (there are a few people I have had numerous interactions with online that feels too meaningful to not acknowledge). The construction of the chords themselves is highly intuitive however; there are a few things that can inform the chord. For instance, the way I view or relate people to one another can inform aspects of their chords. To use my parents as an example, their chords are the same notes re-orchestrated in different octaves. Often, if the person is a musician, that can also factor into their chords creation as well. Instrumentalists will often have chords based on pieces we may have played together or that I’ve seen them play and associate with them. Sometimes it can be as simple as the person’s chord having some relation to their own instrument (perhaps the lowest note in their instruments’ range or an open string). Once chords are created I don’t change the pitches however some other changes can occur, if a person’s name changes for any reason I will update the name above the chord and if a person passes away I change the noteheads to be diamond shaped (there is no particular sound associated with this notation, it is just a visual way to indicate a persons passing).
I don’t have an actual performance in mind for these chords since they are constantly growing. I often use them in a visual medium (a small book of select chords is in the works). In addition, I will give musician’s their own chords to improvise on. In my own compositional practice I will often use chords as a source material. If I’m working on a piece that is written for a musician or musicians I know I’ll usually incorporated their chords into the composition (much like the way several composers throughout history have found ways to incorporate their own signatures into their own pieces). My music always begins in a very personal place and it is my hope that The Chords In My Life will continue to be an artistic practice that reflects the people I meet throughout the course of my life.
I don’t have an actual performance in mind for these chords since they are constantly growing. I often use them in a visual medium (a small book of select chords is in the works). In addition, I will give musician’s their own chords to improvise on. In my own compositional practice I will often use chords as a source material. If I’m working on a piece that is written for a musician or musicians I know I’ll usually incorporated their chords into the composition (much like the way several composers throughout history have found ways to incorporate their own signatures into their own pieces). My music always begins in a very personal place and it is my hope that The Chords In My Life will continue to be an artistic practice that reflects the people I meet throughout the course of my life.
