THE HIGHS ARE HIGH AND THE LOWS ARE LOW
FOR FULL ORCHESTRA
length: 8 mins
Over the past year, humor has become a kind of refuge for me. Internet humor, movies, and even music, I often find myself seeking laughter. My days often feel like an emotional rollercoaster, swinging wildly between anxiety and sadness, then suddenly being overtaken by moments of happiness and laughter. It’s a constant, jarring back-and-forth that is almost part of my routine.
Most of the pieces I’ve written usually tackle pretty serious subject matter or heavy subjects. But after working on several pieces with such weighty themes, I felt the urge to try something different. something more playful.
This piece is a reflection of my emotional journey over the last year, filled with both sincerity and absurdity. The music shifts from deeply personal, vulnerable moments to unexpected bursts of humor. You’ll hear kazoos, singing while playing, and even DJ airhorn sounds. It’s all a way of poking fun at music itself, at familiar musical ideas, at my past works, and at the very act of creating.
At its core, “The Highs Are High and the Lows Are Low” is a musical diary of sorts. It captures the way life feels when you’re swinging between intense highs and lows. One moment, the orchestra might be deeply introspective, and the next, it’ll throw in something humorous or absurd, as if to remind you that it’s okay to laugh, even in the most serious of times.
