Held (2026)

Elsie Currie approached me over winter break of our Senior year about a brand new project she wanted me on after our collaboration the previous semester, "The Pit and the Pendulum". She had been selected as a student choreographer to create a piece of dance for the Spring Appalachian Dance Ensemble, the most prolific opportunity for student dancers and choreographers at Appalachian State University. We spent the beginning months of 2026 collaborating on this project, titled "Held", based on the idea of co-habitation. As an avid supporter of interdisciplinary creation, coming together with Elsie again has been one of my favorite projects of my entire undergraduate career. 

The music itself is a layered cake, with a base of an arpeggiated synth you hear throughout the piece. This was my first large project I created completely on the Digital Audio Workshop, Ableton. I was (and am currently) still learning how to use the DAW, but it was an obstacle I was willing to take on to bring Elsie's vision to life. The music also features short clips of saxophonist Leah Gadams improvising.