Look Towards the Shadows

for this month's composition, the community was instructed to compose a score that tells its own story. when I began planning this score, I knew I wanted to create something special... I spent over a week attempting to plan my own storyline out, but ultimately nothing emerged. though, I recalled a story that my grandfather once told me about his own father during the 1950's of the korean war... I was certain that this was my calling to faithfully compose a score dedicated to my 증조할아버지, or great grandfather's, life story...

in korean culture, the values of family held uttermost significance. the music that I composed illustrates the years of brutal history that my great grandfather endured to ensure the safety and health of his family. although war was only a short period of his life, it symbolizes his plethora of emotions that life carries and the need to maintain hope, even in the worst of times.

my composition is a story of my great grandfather's experiences from the last months of world war II to the end of the Korean war... it is a narrative of the fear and longing that he and his family felt as they fled from the communist dictatorship in the northern provinces. to my best ability, I tried to maintain an atmosphere of traditional korean music... I merged the contemporary themes that I familiarly utilize with a more foreign genre of korean folk. the symphony presented through my orchestra aligns with that of traditional korean instruments... they not only represent values of korean culture, but some specific instruments also hold meaning to the emotions that my great grandfather held in the midst of both peace and war (p.s. I wrote small annotations surrounding key motifs and transitions, and you can also look at the instrument list to see what each instrument represents). I hope that this piece is able to resonate within the heart and illustrate at least the smallest perspective of how anyone can firmly endure the uncertainties of life