sparrow+sine

for violin/voice and field recording. originally written in february 2021 for violinist rachel panitch of thread ensemble. this version (performed by me) reveals one of my working methods – compositions that begin as improvisations on my instrument, the cello.

as i work in my home i can’t help but take in the sounds that are happening around me. last summer our neighbor bought a bird feeder and set it up in his backyard which our kitchen overlooks. in between feedings, swarms of sparrows would come to his backyard and hang out in the shrubs just outside one of our windows. the sparrows were so present in our daily lives while we were working from home during the pandemic i found it impossible to not include them in this piece. i’ve used field recordings from my local surroundings in other works but they’re usually much more subdued than this one.