I began writing Resonance as an exercise in the dynamic evolution of a melody.

Loosely structured as a theme and variations, the work begins unassumingly with the theme performed in an almost offhand manner as pizzicato on solo violin, shadowed by a gentle accompaniment of pitched percussion instruments. In a short time, the piece grows and quickens to almost outsize proportions. It then reaches a triumphant, orchestral climax before returning to an intimate character, sealed by a partial restatement of the first phrase.

The little melody that could.

The work was central to a collaboration with director Jessica Brillhart, then principal filmmaker at Google VR, and was commissioned in part by Google. We aimed to create a virtual reality film based around my composition, in which I perform throughout.

The film, which we also titled Resonance, was released to announce 360 interactive sound functionality on YouTube,. It was the first VR experience to transport viewers literally inside a symphony orchestra in 360VR, taking them on a journey of inception, creation, and culmination via a series of evocative locations. While the film’s frequent cuts represented an artistic challenge, it became clear that a continuous and cohesive musical score could serve as a unifying thread to help maintain immersion in a VR experience, to help in easing the transition between scenes.

I recorded Resonance with Eric Jacobsen conducting The Knights, and the score is dedicated to my friend Nick Kadner, Executive Producer at Greencard films who passed away tragically in the months following our work on the VR film.

[also for violin, piano; and violin, guitar]