Personal Space (2017)

about

Personal Space is a reflection on my own varying, and often conflicting, emotions on the subject. The inspiration came while waiting in line at the US Post Office (but could just as easily apply to many other annoying scenarios of daily city life: waiting at the DMV, sitting in traffic with no end in sight, commuting on a crowded bus, to name just a few). As I stood in line, I could not help but wonder in exasperation: why were people standing so close behind me in line, and why were they so impatient to inch forward, especially since there was no reason to do so? And more interestingly, why was this irritating me so much?

This piece began as a meditation on that sense of irritation and invasion, and later transformed into a larger impression of what "personal space" could mean. I wanted to reconcile the negative view of "encroachment" with a more positive view of community and to express the importance of ultimately embracing these conflicting feelings, especially as we now live in a world in which we can feel increasingly more disconnected from each other, despite the fact that we are seemingly more connected than ever.

Personal Space was commissioned by Areon Flutes as part of the Areon Flutes International Composition Contest.

instrumentation

Flute 1/Piccolo, Flute 2, Flute 3/Alto Flute

duration

ca. 11 minutes

performances