Wayfinding

for VIOLIN, VIOLA, CELLO, and BASS

“Rhythm is the architecture of being,” wrote Senegalese poet and philosopher Léopold Senghor.

Architecture structures space, while rhythm structures time, and musicians often speak of our relationship to rhythm in spatial-embodied terms: we try to play “in” time but sometimes drag “behind” the rest of the band; we “move” from one tempo to the next and (God forbid) get “lost” when we can’t “find” the downbeat. “Wayfinding” is a concept in architecture, interior design, and urban planning that refers to the critical design elements that make built environments knowable and navigable. Fire exit signs, airport maps, color-coded parking structures, and intuitive hotel room numbering all make unfamiliar environments feel more familiar by providing information about how to move through a space and avoid getting lost.

Wayfinding moves through distinct rhythmic spaces—different rooms in the built musical environment of the piece. Each rhythmic space contains inside it elements that lead to the next, and though it at times threatens to lose its way, these musical guideposts chart a constant path forward. Just as we fill physical spaces with our actions, movements, and memories, the musical spaces within Wayfinding variously evoke joy, anxiety, uncertainty, dreams, nostalgia, and dancing—the wonderfully diverse experiences of being.

Performed by members of 5th House Ensemble:

Khelsey Zarraga, violin

Mason Spencer, viola

Herine Koschak, cello

David Chapman-Orr, bass

Premiered at Jan Serr Studio, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, November 19, 2021

Please send me an email if you are interested in the score and parts for Wayfinding.