Journey Above the Tundra:

In June of 2023 I went on the most exhilarating, awe-inspiring, and spiritually fulfilling trip I have ever been on. As part of the Composing in the Wilderness Lake Clark 2023 program, me and five other composers, led by our wilderness guides and the founder of the program Stephen Lias, camped and explored the wilderness on Lower Tazimina Lake in Lake Clark National Park in Alaska. I’m still speechless about this experience and the pure beauty of the unsullied environment I found myself in.

I have always loved being out in nature and appreciating the profound beauty that Mother Earth has provided for us. Being a part of this select group and living within this space was life changing.

As part of the experience, each composer received a “creative assignment” that serves a particular purpose within the overall program of the six works. My assignment was to write a “light, humorous, or playful” wind ensemble work. At first, I had a really hard time with this assignment. I did not view this place as “light, humorous, or playful” whatsoever and was having a really hard time coming up with ideas that depicted this. On our first day of hiking, we took short creative breaks where we could contemplate our assignments and come up with ideas. Rather than searching for answers about my piece, I found myself being in the moment and simply taking in what my eyes were witnessing. I felt my spirit being intertwined with Mother Earth’s spirit and, in that moment, was the most important thing to me. The ideas can come later, but those moments were dedicated to me and nature.

As we continued our hike, I started to think how I was supposed to write this “light, humorous, or playful” piece about a place I didn’t view as “light, humorous, or playful,” in fact very far from it. Then, out of the brush, a snowy white bird emerged and flew to a nearby tree making a guttural series of clucking sounds. Our guides identified it as a willow ptarmigan, a type of grouse commonly found in subarctic tundra. It was spectacular to witness such a beautiful bird. As the week progressed, I observed more birds and their songs. One morning we were sitting on the beach eating breakfast and a flock of what looked like sanderlings flew right past us. It was at this moment where I knew how I could write a playful piece, the Alaskan birds, and their various dances.

Journey Above the Tundra: Dance of the Willow Ptarmigan depicts the willow ptarmigan, represented by the bassoon, and their highly territorial and playful nature along with other various birds I heard while in the wilderness and their interactions with one another.