Austin Symphonic Band Performing Intrinsic Light
Austin Symphonic Band. February 14, 2023 concert at the Connally HS Performing Arts Center in Austin, TX. ASB performing Intrinsic Light by Cait Nishimura. Music Director Dr. Kyle R. Glaser conducting. "The Sun Never Sets" Concert.
Video and Sound Production: Eddie Jennings
From the program notes written by David Cross:
Intrinsic Light (2019)
Cait Nishimura (b. 1991)
Program note by the composer:
“Intrinsic light” is a term for the colour or sensation we experience in complete dark-ness, due to the spontaneous activity of neurons in the retina. My goal with this piece was to represent this phenomenon through sound. Reflecting on this concept prompted a deeper, metaphorical realization: even in times of darkness, we are able to observe, generate, and experience light, and that coming together to make music is one of the ways in which we can do this. When I was a high school student, I participated in the Ontario Provincial Honour Band and performed at the annual OMEA (Ontario Music Educators Association) conference. It was a formative experience during which I was surrounded by others who were there out of a genuine desire to share their love of music - beautiful example of “intrinsic” motivation. It has been ten years since I graduated from my high school music program, and five years since completing my post-secondary studies in music, and I am endlessly grateful to have been part of the music education community in Ontario. Music teachers are some of the unseen superheroes of this world, and it was a huge honour to have been asked to write music in celebration of their work.
Cait Nishimura is a Japanese-Canadian composer based in Waterloo, Ontario. Known for writing nature-inspired, programmatic music, Nishimura established herself as a prominent voice in the concert band community. She describes herself as a full-time self-published composer, currently working on works for band, chorus and musical theatre. She also confesses that she is “really good at growing plants.”
Before Nishimura transitioned to a full-time career as a composer, she taught instrumental music. She actively seeks opportunities to connect personally with the communities for whom she writes, and she is passionate about empowering others through art. She strives to set a positive example for future generations of musicians - especially those from historically underrepresented groups - through her creative work and her dedication to mental health awareness. As a lifelong environmentalist, she not only draws inspiration from the natural world but also uses her platform to advocate for conservation awareness and action.
Listen for:
• Vocalization by the band in the introduction (a nod to the first president of Ontario Music Educators Association, who was a vocalist).
• Extensive percussion writing throughout (a wink to OMEA’s president at the time of this composition, who is a percussionist).
• Creative harmonizations using only the eight notes of the diatonic E-flat scale and no chromatic notes.
• Polyrhythms often pitting 2 versus 3 notes or 3 versus 4 notes in one beat.
