PERUSALSCORE
WhatItCould Bewith Hopeand Joy
fortenorsaxophoneandpiano
PERUSALSCORE
What It Could Be with Hope and Joy
for tenor saxophone and piano
ProgramNote
Joy- theemotionevoked bywell-being,success,orgood fortune,orbytheprospectof possessingwhatonedesires
“WhatItCould BewithHopeand Joy”waswritteninresponsetoaprompttowritemusicabouttheemotionof JoyforMarieHumburgeraspart of hergraduateworkof commissioning newworksbasedaroundvariousemotions. In2024, theworld,particularlymine,wasonewithnotvery muchJoy. I had initiallyfeltlittlemotivationtowritemusicaboutanemotionIwasn’tfeeling. Instead, Idecided tomakemypieceaboutjoyat theexpenseof others.AsaGayJewishperson, I havebecomemuchmoreawareof howthesetwocommunitiesareusedasscapegoats (regardlessof viewpoints),and thisoftenleadstorightsbeing takenawaybecauseothercommunitiesfeel threatened byourexistence,and the onlywaythattheycanfeelsecure,whichleadstoafalsesenseof joy, isbyblamingsomeoneelse.
I learnedseveral lifelessonsconnected tointerpersonalrelationshipswithotherpeople,whichled toalotof pain. Still, Iabsolutelyhad the experienceof joythroughouttheseexperiences. Itled metothestarkrealizationthatIamadreamer. Iamawhat-if person. Iamincredibly hopeful,andevenwithsetbacks, theamountof hopeI haveforhumanity, beitglobally, locally,orinterpersonally, haskeptmeoptimisticand genuinelyanopen-mindedand happierindividual. Despitethesesetbacks,particularlywithinterpersonalrelationshipsandglobalevents, Iam still hopeful,whichbringsmeJoy. Beingproudof myidentitybringsmeJoy. Knowing thatwhileIamnotalwaysaccepted byallpeople, membersof thesecommunitieswillacceptmebringsmeJoy.
ThefirstmovementreflectshowI feltatthebeginningof thecomposition. Moving forwardquickly,onalert,desperate,andconcerned.The pianopresentsadrivingrhythmicpersonawhilethesaxophoneyellsforhelp.Therelentlessnessof thedescending linesintheirvariousforms, beitthemelodicfiguresorthedownwardarpeggios,reflectstheemotionsconnected toasenseof hopelessnessand lackof joy.Thisopening movementiswhereIwaswhenIstartedcomposing. Bythesecond movement, I beganreflectingonhowtoovercomethissadnessandanger. ButwithhopepresentsawishforstabilityandpresentslooselyasaPassacaglia,steadyandunwavering, butwithasenseof progresswhichleads uptojoy.The4+5 meterpresentsaslightduality, butonesidehasmorestrengththantheother.Thatstrengthmayormaynotdisappear, but acceptanceof thatcanlead toasenseof resolution. Bythethird movement, Irealized thathopecanlead tojoy, butjoyisamorecomplex emotionthanpurehappiness.Thedefinitionaboveincludesthephrase“theprospectof good fortune,”whichimpliesthatwithouthope, thereis nojoyand thatfortunemayormaynotoccurinthewayimagined, butthatdoesnotmeanacceptanceof whoweneedversuswhotheyare cannotlead tojoy.Thedescendingarpeggiofigurestillexists.Theproblemsdon’tjustdisappear. Iamremindedof avideoIrecentlysawonline explaining howtraumaishealed.Aglassof dark brownliquidexistsand isputunderthefaucet,representing thework ittakestoheal.Thedark brownliquidremainsandsitsunderthefaucetforquitesometimebeforetheglassbecomestransparent. I imagineJoyformanyof usexistslike this. Ittakesworkanddoesnothappenimmediately, butyou mustalsochoosetoexperienceJoy.
- SpencerArias
Instrumentation
TenorSaxophone
Piano
PERUSALSCORE
Duration: 11’00”
CommissionedinaconsortiumledbyMarieHumburgerincludingNickSuosso, AndrewHosler,JoshRoberts,GregoryO.Wrenn,SteveCarmichael,andAaronBurr
Firstprintingof thisedition, May2025