String Quartet Musings

In 2018, myself and The Letters added a string section and performed a few shows with string players. During one of those shows, a gentleman in the front row fell asleep during our string songs. I was actually offended! (and now I see why I was wrong to think that.) At the time I believed he was so bored THATS why he fell asleep! After that show I vowed to write only upbeat and uptempo songs for awhile. Fast forward to last year. I was doing some intense music listening during lockdown. I found myself drifting off and daydreaming while listening to music just like I always have. Some music relaxed and comforted me enough to allow a slip into a deep sleep during fits of panic-induced-insomnia. Some music is so beautifully lush it keeps your attention piqued just enough to provoke lucid dreaming. Lots of that music had string arrangements. It was music I truly enjoyed, no matter what emotion, reaction (or sleep) it provoked.

I revisited my feelings about the gentleman who appeared to fall asleep at our performance years before. How did I know he was actually sleeping? How did I know he was bored? How did I know he wasn’t having a transcendental dreaming experience with my music as the soundtrack? How did I know he wasn’t having the time of his life? How did I know he didn’t work 16 hours that day and would fall asleep regardless of what we played? I made assumptions and was offended based on those. I then revisited my work with the previous string arrangements and fell in love with what I already had created and totally fawned at the possibility of adding string arrangements to my newest batch of songs. I went to work and completed 10 new string arrangements with my infant daughter Juniper sleeping on my chest during the first two months of her life.

While playing Porchrokr and debuting the new string quartet format, I nervously said something along the lines of “I appreciate you spending your time chilling out with us during today’s madness. I know we’re not the most ‘exciting’ act, but it’s a vibe.” Y’know, self consciously and self deprecatingly excusing us for being so different. Someone shouted “This is High Culture Music!” Me and my music have been called many things, but to be considered “cultured” or “classy” is a review I wasn’t mentally prepared for nor have ever really fathomed! With of all this, my hopes for these shows with strings are to lean into being unique, different and to celebrate the string arrangements and songs I have poured hundreds of hours into while celebrating the human experience. I want the music to evoke emotion, daydreaming, memories, reaction, (maybe even sleep,) whatever unique experience it is, I want the listener to feel it. It’s exciting music, but not in the ‘heavy’ sense, more in the ‘dense’ or ‘deep’ sense. Or maybe it’s all terrible, I haven’t sat with the songs long enough to really know. However, I do have a strong feeling it’s the best work I’ve done yet.

Also, when all is said and done, I have to take in account that these string arrangements were composed with my baby daughter sleeping on my chest … but then again, how do I know she was sleeping? How do I know she wasn’t having a transcendental dreaming experience with my music as the soundtrack…