Songs for Black Swans-SAMPLE

BRETT WILLIAM DIETZ SONGS FOR BLACK SWANS

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PROGRAM NOTES

In 2002, during a press briefing about the Iraq War, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld famously divided information into four categories: known knowns, known unknowns, unknown knowns, and unknown unknowns. He stated, “As we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns—the ones we don’t know we don’t know.” This statement has become known in some circles as “The Rumsfeld Matrix.”

This paradigm can be foundational in predicting a “black swan” event, which is an event that comes as a surprise, has a major effect, and is often inappropriately rationalized after the fact with the benefit of hindsight. Events such as 9/11 or COVID-19 might be referred to as “black swan” events—events which seem unpredictable and improbable but in hindsight are considered by some to be obvious or inevitable. The music of Songs for Black Swans unfolds in a way that reflects the mysterious yet relatable nature of these pivotal occurrences.

Songs for Black Swans was written for and dedicated to my student, Steven Wimberley. It was premiered on March 27, 2025, at Louisiana State University.

—Brett William Dietz