Falling Skyward by Andre Myers

Andre says: I composed Falling Skyward in February 2001 for a lecture-performance I presented, in collaboration with flutist Chris Pesko, at the University of Michigan SCOR (Students of Color at Rackham) academic conference. The conference theme was “Claiming Space,” and examined the ways people of color inhabit and embody challenging narratives in academia. I wanted to compose a piece that responded to this conference theme, so I thought about how the notion of “Claiming Space” could be musically rendered.
What I came up with is a six-minute composition in three parts. The first juxtaposes two different spheres of registral activity: one high and strident, another low and sensuous. The second part contrasts different types of melodic material: one lyrical, the other more angular. And the final section blends the first two parts together into some semblance of integration with the hope that, despite differences in musical style, Falling Skyward can carry contradiction and disagreement in a way that models strength, harmony, and repose.
Audio producer: Jeff Coffin, ITA Studio
Video: Kenneth Swartout and Joshua Weinfeld, Continuous Motion Productions
Funds and in-kind support for this project were generously provided by the Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music.