atomic

ABout this project

At a time when our society is particularly fragmented and politically polarized, I am collaborating with other artists to explore themes of human connection. The impetus behind this long-term project is the idea that finding or cultivating common ground with individuals from diverse backgrounds leads us toward greater awareness, understanding, and empathy. We get to choose. We can choose to examine our own behavior, find points of connections, and develop stronger relationships with those around us.

Below you can find more information about each piece and recordings. I am currently working with Philly-based Colombian composer James Díaz on a new piece for baritone saxophone, electronics, and video.

bodies immutable (2019) - LJ White (music) & Jason Charney (programming and video)

bodies immutable is inspired by the increasingly visible and thriving transgender community in the US, and the fact of our visibility made possible by our support of each other and the support we receive from allies. 

The piece’s musical concept reflects this proliferation of transgender existence and the ways in which the presence of one trans person allows for others to live openly and authentically.  It is built from long tones on the saxophone that can be understood to represent trans individuals.  Each tone played by the saxophone becomes part of the ongoing fabric of the piece, and the instrument, whose initial gestures are sparse and isolated, becomes part of an extended, self-sustaining, interactive chorus that, later, acts as a support system for a more varied and indeterminate saxophone vocabulary, and, by the end, moves into territory that the single acoustic instrument cannot traverse on its own.  In the interactive video component by Jason Charney, colored forms emerge, at first as disembodied forms that coalesce into human figures. A single dancer is soon joined by others of different colors, representing the exponential presence of trans people living authentic lives in plain sight. While the video includes interpretations of the piece by cisgender, transgender, and non-binary movement artists, their colorful and anonymous forms highlight the solidarity and universal experiences of people across the gender spectrum.

Transgender people in our country are currently facing unprecedented backlash, requiring us to be especially vigilant in the upkeep of our support network.  However, we now exist, emboldened, in numbers, and we will ensure our collective ability to be seen and to survive.  I wish for this piece to function as a form of acknowledgment of my community.  It’s a way of saying to other trans people, including those who are struggling: I see you. I’m here for you. I’m here because you’re here, and you’re here because I’m here, and we exist on account of the tenacity of our predecessors, and others will exist because of us, and we are creating a world in which we can take up space, be recognized, and be free. - LJW & JC

b(locked.orders) (2019) - Emily Koh (music) & michiko Saiki (video)

Executive Order 13769 of early 2017, more commonly known as the travel ban, affected thousands of American immigrants. b(locked.orders) sonifies the stifled voices of immigrants in their adopted countries, as well as silenced minorities within their home countries. The video takes place in an artificial world where two societies co-exist. As a curious observer, the protagonist enjoys praising or ridiculing the other society, but she seems to never question her own wrongdoings. This piece serves as a reminder that through consistent self-awareness and reflection, each of us can choose to truly connect with one another through curiosity, openness, empathy and compassion. - EK, MS, & NE