Echolalia

Echolalia is a term that describes the mimesis of babies learning to speak, babbling to imitate the words of those speaking around them. This idea became the jumping off point for this piece, which unfolds out of a shrouded, ambiguous heterophonic cloud that gradually clarifies as it becomes the foundational material for each instruments' independent, articulate voice. As such, there is a musical reflection of the human process of learning to speak, which itself parallels the process of imitation in art. As we learn to form our voices as artists, the importance of embracing your influences becomes increasingly apparent. In order to create something deeply individual and unique, we must first mimic and imitate, but ultimately transcend the inspirations that inform our tastes.

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Instrumentation:

Flute, Viola and Harp

Duration:

c. 6 min.