鈥淚t was here, it was gone and it wouldn鈥檛 go away.鈥�
That鈥檚 how Columbus composer describes her experience of the year 2020.
鈥�2020 felt like a year and also like three minutes and also like three decades. It also felt like three nanoseconds,鈥� she said.
How the tumult and turbulence of 2020 undermined Udoh鈥檚 own experience of the year鈥檚 passing was partial inspiration for Udoh鈥檚 new string trio Dig. The piece is full of rhythms that play with time in ways as surprising as they are delightful.
鈥淚 used time in certain ways in the piece,鈥� said Udoh.
Commissioned by the , Dig will be premiered by the Columbus-based string ensemble in an online concert Sunday, Feb. 28 at 3 p.m., streamed on the and pages.
Known equally well as a composer and as a performer with the band Counterfeit Madison, Udoh wrote Dig in December 2020. While the pandemic might have been the immediate context for Dig, Udoh says she was exploring many things in writing the piece 鈥� her experience as a Black American, what she describes as her own 鈥渃omplicated relationship with religion鈥� and her special love of classical music, among the many genres in which she works.
Dig is the product of Udoh鈥檚 own process of self-reflection. And Udoh says the piece invites others 鈥� each of us individually, and for all of us as a society 鈥� to self-reflection and greater self-awareness.
鈥淚鈥檓 really beginning to understand that in order for us as individuals and as a society to really come to terms with who we are, we鈥檝e got to dig,鈥� said Udoh. 鈥淲herever anyone is with their journey of figuring out who they are in this world and what they carry and what they bring to the table and what experiences they鈥檝e had and what hurt they鈥檝e had to process and what joys and what experiences, whatever they are 鈥� we鈥檝e just got to go deeper.鈥�
In composing Dig Udoh says she dug down to her musical roots, which go deep and extend across a wide range of genres. She grew up hearing and performing Black church music and says phrasing characteristic of gospel music made its way into Dig. When her dad played a recording of Beethoven鈥檚 Sixth Symphony for her when she was 12, Udoh says she became 鈥渞eally classical.鈥�
And she still has a soft spot for string instruments.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know when I heard a cello for the first time, but I just fell in love with it and kept composing for it,鈥� Udoh said. 鈥淚鈥檝e played in musicals and in church mostly and rock bands and for choruses and I keep coming back to the strings.鈥�
Udoh鈥檚 eclectic musical background sparkles in this video of Chamber Brews鈥� recent recording session for their upcoming virtual concert.
Although the purpose behind Dig 鈥� to encourage self-reflection 鈥� may be weighty, Udoh says she wants the piece itself to speak to the heart, not to the head.
鈥淎 lot of new music is really intelligent. I wanted (Dig) to be unintelligent. Just very accessible,鈥� said Udoh. 鈥淚鈥檓 really excited about the joy and the deepness and the sorrow and the pain and the ecstasy and the celebration. It鈥檚 an emotional journey. But that鈥檚 what this life is, isn鈥檛 it?鈥�
The Feb. 28 online concert will also feature the world premiere of Columbus composer 鈥檚 The First Social Dance with the Columbus Modern Dance Company, choreographed by Dian Jin. Also on the program, the video premiere of New York-based composer 鈥檚 叠尝鲍贰鈥贰顿鈥搁贰贰狈.
