Shared Stories is a project to commission and record new pieces of contemporary unaccompanied violin music and then perform them in every county in Iowa within the next five years. My goals through these performances are:
1. to negotiate issues of place, identity and values by creating an opportunity to discover connections between contemporary violin music and one’s own stories
2. demonstrate how contemporary violin music can articulate values held by rural populations even if those values are communicated in a different manner
3. develop speech that bridges gaps between communities rather than increasing marginalization.
The title of the project, Shared Stories, comes from the idea that rural and urban cultures have more shared values and experiences than we are led to believe by politicians and media outlets. Though the setting of these experiences, their manner of expression, and their motivations may differ, the stories themselves are essentially the same. By highlighting that the manner of expression is often different, I hope to encourage everyone who comes in contact with Shared Stories from myself as the performer, to the composers, to the audiences to re-evaluate their perceptions and dismantle assumptions they bring that may hinder communication between these groups of people. With my background as a rural Iowan who also actively participates in the contemporary classical community often associated with urban population centers, I feel like my identification with each group allows me the unique opportunity to step into this gap with these performances.
In November 2019, I’ll begin giving performances of these pieces in every county in Iowa. Starting with my home county (Benton), I’ll be moving through the different counties in clusters over the next five years until I complete this project in my current county (which only recently became Benton County again!). I love the reflection of my own journey in the path Shared Stories will take and can’t wait to bring you along with me!
Look out for more information to come on my website blog page, in newsletter form, and by looking out for Shared Stories on social media using #shared_stories
1. to negotiate issues of place, identity and values by creating an opportunity to discover connections between contemporary violin music and one’s own stories
2. demonstrate how contemporary violin music can articulate values held by rural populations even if those values are communicated in a different manner
3. develop speech that bridges gaps between communities rather than increasing marginalization.
The title of the project, Shared Stories, comes from the idea that rural and urban cultures have more shared values and experiences than we are led to believe by politicians and media outlets. Though the setting of these experiences, their manner of expression, and their motivations may differ, the stories themselves are essentially the same. By highlighting that the manner of expression is often different, I hope to encourage everyone who comes in contact with Shared Stories from myself as the performer, to the composers, to the audiences to re-evaluate their perceptions and dismantle assumptions they bring that may hinder communication between these groups of people. With my background as a rural Iowan who also actively participates in the contemporary classical community often associated with urban population centers, I feel like my identification with each group allows me the unique opportunity to step into this gap with these performances.
In November 2019, I’ll begin giving performances of these pieces in every county in Iowa. Starting with my home county (Benton), I’ll be moving through the different counties in clusters over the next five years until I complete this project in my current county (which only recently became Benton County again!). I love the reflection of my own journey in the path Shared Stories will take and can’t wait to bring you along with me!
Look out for more information to come on my website blog page, in newsletter form, and by looking out for Shared Stories on social media using #shared_stories