Afraid of your own Shadow

piano and live electronics

Duration: 4'

Written and performed as part of UBC Bang! Festival

Roy Barnett Hall, April 23, 2025

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The expression 'being afraid of your own shadow' describes being fearful in a way that is unreasonable. The feelings of fear and horror have always interested me in the way they show up in our lives. From faint sounds, movies, practical jokes or our own imagination, we are often controlled and imprisoned by fear even though there is no real danger.

With the help of MAX, I aimed to create a piece that utilizes reverb, delay, filter and spatialization to enhance the piano and create an expansive environment that modulates and expresses fear. Using only the extreme registers with a lack of pedal, the piano is heard in a new light, much more eerie and percussive. With augmented harmonies and dialogue between upper and lower register, the sound is a horrifying picture of a twisted shadow moving around the listener.