Artist Statement
I think a lot about Miles Davis’ quote “Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself.”
This is true for me.
I have always identified as a performer, beginning my harp training in South Africa, where I was born, and going on to study with Nancy Allen at the Yale School of Music. Since graduating I have been working at the highest level, nationally and internationally. However, the performer hat, alone, never felt enough for me and I found myself drawn to opportunities that nurtured my creative and curious spirit. My first serious application was in my pop duo Addi & Jacq (2012-18) in which we wrote a body of original work and made cover arrangements for vocals and harp (3 self-released albums). However, I feel my true creative awakening began when I met and performed with Anthony Braxton both in duo (duo album, I dischi di Angelica, 2018) and as part of his ZIM Music ensemble (12 Comp (ZIM) 2017, Firehouse 12 Records ).
So, here I am in 2022, thinking of myself as a performer/composer with my first solo album of spontaneous compositions (17 Days In December, Orenda Records 2021) under my belt, and I‘m looking to the future. My desire to study composition formally has largely grown from my experience in improvisation where I began to hear how orchestrally I think and express ideas. The harp is an incredible universe of sound and possibility once it has been stripped of its traditional role. I think my rejection of the harp in this role is because I want to express more of what music is to me - life - in all its beauty and messiness. As an introverted, petite woman who plays the harp, there have been challenges in perception and expectation. My quiet activism is my commitment to my own music, my own voice, and learning to bring that out in the most honest way. While I do push the boundaries using extended techniques they are not an end unto themselves but rather a search to create music beyond my instrument.
About my work samples: Over the course of the pandemic I developed a small home studio, where I recorded my solo album - 17 Days in December (Orenda Records). I have chosen to include two tracks from my album; one with the electric harp and one with the acoustic harp. Each improvisation is one take. Although I don’t consider myself a singer, I like to use my voice as a compositional tool, as you will hear in the work sample ‘Nogh Nood’. ‘Bumping Along’ is my first formal composition for string orchestra, flute, oboe and 2 improvised harp parts - which is why they are not notated in the score.
1. Glassy Fingers, 2020 released 2021
2. Trill To Begin, 2020 released 2021
3. Nogh Nood - manipulated vocals and harp, 2022
4. Bumping Along - string orchestra, flute, oboe and 2 harps, 2022
I am applying specifically to Princeton University because I admire the faculty and many of the composers who have been through the program. The openness to performer/composers makes it possible for people like me to apply, and I believe I would be a good fit. Performing is and will always be a fundamental part of my creative process and output. Already a resident in the Princeton area, I long to be in a supportive and stimulating composer cohort and will be committed to bringing positivity and support to my fellow colleagues.
I have not settled, exactly, on what I want to create, but I am drawn to the intersection of free jazz, new music and art pop, and will be looking for ways to combine my love of free improvisation, technology, songwriting, and the orchestra into one compositional voice. I see every musical mistake as a door to something I would never have imagined, but I believe I need guidance and support to best navigate these doors as I develop as a composer. It would be the gift of a lifetime to have the opportunity to develop as an artist in the community of the PhD Composition Program at Princeton University.
Work Samples
Please listen to:
Track 8 - December 28 : Glassy Fingers
Track 1 - December 1 : Trill to Begin
*orchestra begins 3:18