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Tonia Ko - Covers and Uncovers

from Music in the American Wild by American Wild Ensemble

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about

Covers and Uncovers
Covers and Uncovers refers to the way that landscapes seem to unfold in layers, rolling infinitely to the horizon. My most familiar image of such a vista is the Pacific Ocean, specifically the experience of floating in the water, far from shore. Expanses of land, though quite the opposite of water, behave in much the same manner. In the Tallgrass Prairie National Reserve outside of Strong City, Kansas, grass fills every corner of one's view with a homogenous texture, swaying in continuous waves.

Although my piece is inspired by the vastness of these landscapes, I was interested in how one perceives their visual and sonic details. When immersed in such an environment, our focus switches constantly between the micro- and macro- elements. We could be investigating the momentary sounds of a single twig or ripple, then suddenly notice that they are just small parts contributing to an engulfing white noise. This piece explores the relationship between these pointed noises of natural objects and the sounds of the landscape as a whole.

Covers and Uncovers begins with the sound of loose debris, made by rattling desk bells. The dry, percussive result of this extended technique, paired with woodblocks, gradually transforms into a resonant world of metallic sounds—expressed with freely ringing bells, a cymbal, and in the most elemental form, a long metal tube played with a threaded rod. The instrumental writing negotiates the granular character of the opening sounds with more linear, static gestures that depict large physical spaces. Various types of flickering gestures are passed between members of the ensemble, culminating in constantly shifting harmonics of the metal tube. The final "bowed" duet between the percussionist and the cellist is a brief acknowledgement of the fact that whether on wood or metal (land or water), nature imitates.

Tonia Ko
Tonia Ko's music is guided by explorations into texture, physical movement, and the relationship between melody and memory. She has collaborated with leading soloists and ensembles across a variety of media—from acoustic concert pieces to site-specific sound installations. Recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, her work has also been recognized by the Fromm Music Foundation, Chamber Music America, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Ko holds a DMA from Cornell University. www.toniako.com

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from Music in the American Wild, released October 10, 2018

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