MUST GO FASTER: AN INTERVIEW WITH QUINN MASON ON HIS WORK "FASTER"
Energy. Rhythm. Unity. These are some of the traits which inspired MCI composer Quinn Mason to create "Faster", a new work for wind ensemble that will be featured at the Midwest Clinic's New Music Concert Band Reading Session next week. Read on to learn more about Mason's experiences with creating this new composition:
Describe your inspiration for composing this piece. What is its overall conception?
The piece takes its title from the fact that it is always moving, regardless of what is going on in the music. It goes through several "moods" created by changing the texture in the family of instruments used (whether it be brass, winds, or percussion). The entire work is unified by a sense of rhythm which continually propels the music forward.
What are some of the goals you strove to accomplish when composing the work? What are some of the challenges you faced?
With this being my fourth-ever piece for band, I was still at the stage of trying things out in terms of instrumentation and form. The whole while, I kept asking myself: how can I create a unique piece of music using some new techniques and my own voice? That led to exploration of rhythm, tempo, time, and timbre. In composing this work, I faced the problem of creating a synthesis of all of the elements to create a unique soundscape. That took a while to work out.
What do you hope audiences will take away in hearing your piece?
I hope that "Faster" will give a glimpse into the different and vast sounds a band can make, and that one will walk away from a hearing of it thinking about the conception of sound and speed.