The Chords In My Life is an ongoing piece I started in 2015. The piece is a series of chords each written on a single index card with the name of a person written above the staff. Each of these chords is a representation of a person in my life.
The way the chords are constructed is very subjective and is intended to be a musical signature or identity of the person. There is no exact rule on how I decide to write a chord for someone; rather an intuitive feeling takes place. Generally, if someone has impacted my life in a memorable way I will write 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.
The construction of the chords themselves is also highly intuitive however; there are a few techniques and concepts that can inform a chord. For instance, individuals who relate to one another (genetically or otherwise) often share similar pitches or perhaps voicings. To use my parents as an example, their chords are created with the same pitches but written in different octaves. Often, if the person is a musician, that may also factor into their chord. Instrumentalists will often have chords based on pieces we have played together or that I associate with them.
Once chords are created I don’t change the pitches or voicing. If a person’s name changes for any reason I will update the name above the chord. 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 person's passing). These are the only active changes I will make once a chord has been written.
I don’t have any actual performance realization in mind for these chords since they are constantly growing. I will give musicians a copy of their chord to improvise on. In my own compositional practice I will often use chords as a source material. I will often incorporate chords into pieces I am writing especially, in instances where I know the musicians performing have a chord. 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 is reflective of the people I’ve met throughout my life.