What Stories We Tell
Commissioned and premiered by the Grammy-winning Third Coast Percussion, written for percussion quartet and fixed electronics. This piece is about life, death and the distorted ocean of time in between. Part biographical, part imaginary, it’s a kaleidoscope of color and sound that walks the corridors of a person’s memories from beginning to end – nostalgic, ecstatic, fearful, and loving.
Created in close collaboration with Third Coast Percussion, the musicians are woven together with the electronics – dancing, combining and colliding with field recordings from throughout Hurd’s life (including his Mother singing Mexican lullabies) and manipulated recordings of the Third Coast players – a warped, reshuffled, and often hazy version of themselves heard through the filter of memory. Time distorts recollection almost without fail, so they play with the ghosts of their former selves, each foot in a different time, both familiar and disorienting.
Dedicated to Leon Hurd.
Crépuscule
Commissioned and premiered by Elevate Ensemble under conductor Chad Goodman. Written for for flute, oboe, bass clarinet, harp, violin, cello, and electronics. The fixed electronic track was made entirely of manipulated field recordings collected within Paris, France.
Grace
Originally written for electronics with Joel St. Julien for our duo Nightmare Light, this version includes additional parts for flute, violin, cello, and double bass written by Hurd.