Flute, Oboe, Percussion (Vibraphone), Harp, Violin, Cello (with music box & chimes)
(2025)
8 minutes
A Wisdom Seldom Seen is a chamber piece inspired by the unique and intelligent forms of communication undertaken in the plant world. The hyphae of mycorrhizal fungi create an underground network connecting all kinds of plants, including trees, to each other. This network is used to convey nutrients between plants and communicate information, including imminent dangers such as disease, fires, or logging. The responses to the information are adaptive and happen very quickly; for example, trees can enact defense mechanisms against a disease or fire before it reaches the tree. The fungi share soil nutrients with the trees, and in turn, the trees share carbohydrates resulting from photosynthesis. The NIH describes all of this as intelligent "behavior," furthering the knowledge that plants behave with intentionality and cooperation, in a complex, intelligent, effective system.
In this piece, I hope to evoke a mystical, energetic, somewhat alien atmosphere, as humans might feel while observing the plant world. Each of the instruments creates unusual sounds; microtones, sounds of friction and wind, bent tones, intricately weaving lines, subdued yet exquisite colors. Each of the instruments has its own beauty – colors, textures, ways of moving. Then these complex instruments interact with each other, in just of a few of the infinite ways they could. This parallels the plants involved in mycorrhizal networks – each plant is discrete and unique, and huge networks of these plants come together to create something amazing. My hope in composing a piece grounded in this inspiration is that listeners will increase their appreciation for how complex, effective, and brilliant the natural world is. This is a not a world of inert objects; when a road is built or a forest razed, the consequences range far beyond the immediate visible area. The largest mycorrhizal network known currently is 2,384 acres large, beating the 200-ton blue whale as the largest organism. If you're interested in learning more, a good resource is the NIH National Library of Medicine, under "interplant communication through mycorrhizal networks."
Performer note (optional, technical): This piece is intended to be played with a great deal of freedom in all places except the "soaring" passages (m.32-52 and 79-104)…
Flute, Oboe, Percussion (Vibraphone), Harp, Violin, Cello (with music box & chimes)
(2025)
8 minutes
A Wisdom Seldom Seen is a chamber piece inspired by the unique and intelligent forms of communication undertaken in the plant world. The hyphae of mycorrhizal fungi create an underground network connecting all kinds of plants, including trees, to each other. This network is used to convey nutrients between plants and communicate information, including imminent dangers such as disease, fires, or logging. The responses to the information are adaptive and happen very quickly; for example, trees can enact defense mechanisms against a disease or fire before it reaches the tree. The fungi share soil nutrients with the trees, and in turn, the trees share carbohydrates resulting from photosynthesis. The NIH describes all of this as intelligent "behavior," furthering the knowledge that plants behave with intentionality and cooperation, in a complex, intelligent, effective system.
In this piece, I hope to evoke a mystical, energetic, somewhat alien atmosphere, as humans might feel while observing the plant world. Each of the instruments creates unusual sounds; microtones, sounds of friction and wind, bent tones, intricately weaving lines, subdued yet exquisite colors. Each of the instruments has its own beauty – colors, textures, ways of moving. Then these complex instruments interact with each other, in just of a few of the infinite ways they could. This parallels the plants involved in mycorrhizal networks – each plant is discrete and unique, and huge networks of these plants come together to create something amazing. My hope in composing a piece grounded in this inspiration is that listeners will increase their appreciation for how complex, effective, and brilliant the natural world is. This is a not a world of inert objects; when a road is built or a forest razed, the consequences range far beyond the immediate visible area. The largest mycorrhizal network known currently is 2,384 acres large, beating the 200-ton blue whale as the largest organism. If you're interested in learning more, a good resource is the NIH National Library of Medicine, under "interplant communication through mycorrhizal networks."
Performer note (optional, technical): This piece is intended to be played with a great deal of freedom in all places except the "soaring" passages (m.32-52 and 79-104)…
