PERUSALSCORE
PERUSALSCORE
theinefficienciesthat feedus
forsolopercussion
2023
PERUSALSCORE
SpencerArias
ThecreationofthisworkwouldnotbepossiblewithouttheimportantcontributionsofBerkleyJ.Walker.Itiscrucial thatthescienceishighlighted,byvocalizingthescientistnotealoudtotheaudiencesothattheycanlearnaboutthe researchthemusicwasinspiredby.
ScientistNote
Farmtoplateisall theragetoday,peoplewanting tofollowtheirfood fromwhereitwasgrown, totheirtabletop.Wewantthistoensurethatit hasbeenprocessedaccording toourvaluesbutalsoafascinationwiththeprocessitself. Butwhataboutgoing furtherbackfromthefarm, tothe realsourceof ourfoodontheplanetearthtothesunitself? Myresearchfocusesonfollowing thisenergeticjourneyfromthesuntoourplate andunderstandingwhereenergyislostand howthisjourneywill beimpacted byachangingplanet. Understanding thisjourneymayhold the keytocapturing moreenergyfromthesunand moresustainablyproducing foodand fuel foragrowingplanet.Wecall thisjourney “photosynthesis”. Photosynthesisisthecatch-all termforthereactionsinplantsthatharvestenergyfromthesunandchangecarbondioxide moleculesintheairintosugars.Thesesugarsarenotjustthesweetkind butformthebuilding blocksof thevastmajorityof lifeonthisplanet.
Sohowmuchof all theenergythatcomesfromthesunactuallyendsupinthefoodweeat? Itturnsoutthejourneyfromphotontoplateisnot asefficientasyou mightthink. Photosynthesisincropshasonlyatotal ~1%conversionefficiencyof solarenergy.Thisonepercentpowers practicallyall lifeonthisplanetandgivesustheairwebreath, thefoodweeat, theclotheswewearandagrowingamountof theenergywe consume. Sowhatarewefindingoutabouttheseinefficienciesof photosynthesis? Mylabstudiesaparticularinefficiencycalled “Photorespiration”.Thisinefficiencystemsfromthefactthatcarbondioxideandoxygen,areactuallyquitethesameshape.Theyaresosimilar thatthefirststepof photosynthesisthatgrabsacarbondioxidehastroubletelling themapartandabout1 timeoutof 5,grabsanoxygeninstead of acarbondioxide.Whenitgrabsanoxygentheresultisasugarmoleculethatisof nousetotheplant,and mustberecycled.Thisrecycling is expensive,usingabout148 trillionCaloriesof energyinjusttheMidwest, thisisenoughcaloriesthatif youconverted thesetodonut equivalents,youwould haveenoughdonutstostacktothemoonand backover20 times.
Work inourlabisrevealing thatthisinefficiencyismorethanitfirstseems.Welookatphotorespirationtounderstand howitisintegratedwith everythingelsetheplantdoestostayalive.Wearefinding thatthisapparentinefficiencyintermsof energy, mayalsohavegreatbenefitinother aspects. Insteadof simplybeingarecyclingpathway, itisan“up-cycling”pathwaythatmayhelpmaketheproteinandvitaminsinplantsthat aresoimportantforhumannutrition.
-BerkleyJ.Walker,Ph.DMolecularPlantSciences,AssociateProfessorofPlantBiologyatMichiganStateUniversity
ProgramNote
TheinefficienciesthatfeeduswaswrittenincollaborationwithPlantScientistBerkleyWalkerabouthisresearchonPhotosynthesis.Thework usesagesturalrepresentationof theprocessof aphotonmoving fromthesuntoaplanttotheplateof thefoodweeat.Thescienceisatthe centerof thework.
PerformanceNote
Thetimemarkingsaremeanttoactlikeguidelines,andarenotmeanttobestrict.Theperformermayopt. toplaythisworktobemuchshorter orsignificantlylongeratthediscretionof theperformer.TheRebarpitchesarenotmeanttobeprecisepitches, butaretrulyHigh, Middle,and Low.
Instrumentation
Percussion:Tom(low), SnareDrum, Suspended Cymbal, Crotales
tom snare rim side-stick sus-cymbal crotales rebar High / Mid / Low Crot.
PERUSALSCORE
CommissionedbytheFallingTreeCollaborative,assupported bytheNationalScienceFoundation.WrittenforChrisSies
Duration: 7 minutes30seconds
Firstprintingof thisedition, March2025
Copyright©
forsolopercussion
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Arias: The inefficiencies that feed us JAT-101-066-FS
