Oobleck - Live Performance

I got a ping today that I am not active on here much anymore. Last August, I became bedbound with ME/CFS and have seen a steady drop in my abulities to do anything. From 50% functioning, to 40 to 30 to 20 to 10 to 5. Some days I can barely lift my head to eat. There is talk of putting me in a nursing home when my mom goes back to work this fall. I’m only 22!

Oobleck, which I’ve posted here before, was written primarily in the first month of my illness. Before things became really bad. When I was still hopeful I would be better by “X” date. “It’s just the flu,” and “I’ll be ready to go back to school by fall break,” turned into a slow melting away of my entire life. Moving back home with my mom, leaving my friends, my college city, my life I had built, and having to start completely from scratch with a body that leaves me in 9/10 pain and dysfunction daily.

It is a very potent work. Perhaps my first real “piece of art.” I am proud of creating something that is truly me. It is not about enjoyment, it is about the experience. I can dub the work as “Mahler, but with quarter tones.” 

I won’t be writing or doing much of anything for the next while. My life is too covered in oobleck. 
 

Program Note: 

The term oobleck is a type of substance that, when supported with
pressure and force, is a solid. However, as soon as this support is
removed, it oozes into a sticky liquid. Because of this, the oobleck
always feels like it is on the verge of oozing apart into a mess of
gunk.

Dr. Seuss coined the term, introducing it in his story, "Bartholomew
and the Oobleck." Its manifestation in the story is an evil, sticky
substance which covers the kingdom it rains down upon.

"Oobleck" is an aural exploration of a familiar musical world tainted
by oobleck.

7 minutes ago, Eickso said:

I got a ping today that I am not active on here much anymore. Last August, I became bedbound with ME/CFS and have seen a steady drop in my abulities to do anything. From 50% functioning, to 40 to 30 to 20 to 10 to 5. Some days I can barely lift my head to eat. There is talk of putting me in a nursing home when my mom goes back to work this fall. I’m only 22!

Evan, I’m very sorry to hear that, and more sorry for pinging you idiotically without knowing anything you have been suffering!! Why talented people like you need to be harmed in this way??????????? You are so good at many things, composing, clarinet playing, and organising those wonderful competitions. I hope you are getting well now. Forgive me for pinging you brainlessly, and my sincerest wish you a speedy  recovery🙏🙏

Henry

2 minutes ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

Evan, I’m very sorry to hear that, and more sorry for pinging you idiotically without knowing anything you have been suffering!! Why talented people like you need to be harmed in this way??????????? You are so good at many things, composing, clarinet playing, and organising those wonderful competitions. I hope you are getting well now. Forgive me for pinging you brainlessly, and my sincerest wish you a speedy  recovery🙏🙏

Henry

 

Oh you don’t have to worry, I’d been thinking about posting this here for a few weeks now. You helped! And there’s no way to predict these things - everyone is surprised. I know I am, daily :). Yes, these things don’t deserve to happen, and yet they do. What a cruel thing for God to take away even the enjoyment of listening to music. I mostly sit in the dark with no sound doing breathing exercises. I get very shaky when I do anything for more than 5 minutes, and if I push that too much I will have a stroke like shutdown for a few hours. Always conscious, but trapped in my own body. Hell. 

Fear the disease that is ME/CFS. 

2 minutes ago, Eickso said:

Oh you don’t have to worry, I’d been thinking about posting this here for a few weeks now. You helped! And there’s no way to predict these things - everyone is surprised. I know I am, daily :). Yes, these things don’t deserve to happen, and yet they do. What a cruel thing for God to take away even the enjoyment of listening to music. I mostly sit in the dark with no sound doing breathing exercises. I get very shaky when I do anything for more than 5 minutes, and if I push that too much I will have a stroke like shutdown for a few hours. Always conscious, but trapped in my own body. Hell. 

I read a book and watched a film before named Le Scaphandre et le Papillon. The writer who is also the protagonist of the book suffered from locked-in syndrome when he could only blink his eyes and couldn’t use any other muscles, despite having a clear mind. I cried as Fisk when watching that film and reading the book. Now I’m crying now. I can do nothing except wishing you a speedy recovery 😭 Kyrie Eleison!

Despite your illness I am still glad to see you here @Eickso!  I am so sorry to hear about your debilitating fatigue!  I read a little about the illness.  Which symptoms do you experience?  Do you have trouble with sleep/brain fog?  Are you able to listen and enjoy music?  How severe is it?  I'm sorry if this is too personal and if you don't want to answer or can't I'll understand.  I am glad however, that you were able to share this great live performance of your Oobleck piece!  I think thanks to your clever program description, the piece is accessible to a general audience and easy to "get" despite the microtones.  Ever since hearing it and another microtonal piece by @Mooravioli I have myself been inspired to explore microtonality!  So thanks for that!

Hello Evan,

After reading through your post and listening to the music, I can feel a lot of struggle and suffering, as well as descent into madness(portrayed quite vividly in that last chord). Especially living alone, My biggest fear has always been to wake up one day and realize I am trapped inside my body. I have to agree with Peter's last post that this has a unique sound-world, but it is also a haunting one. Although a few sections are a little too gritty to my ear(high-pitched winds), you've incorporated so many novel techniques worth exploring, and perhaps I'll incorporate those into my pieces too if you don't mind.

Really hope you get better soon. 

1 hour ago, Mooravioli said:

Hello Evan,

After reading through your post and listening to the music, I can feel a lot of struggle and suffering, as well as descent into madness(portrayed quite vividly in that last chord). Especially living alone, My biggest fear has always been to wake up one day and realize I am trapped inside my body. I have to agree with Peter's last post that this has a unique sound-world, but it is also a haunting one. Although a few sections are a little too gritty to my ear(high-pitched winds), you've incorporated so many novel techniques worth exploring, and perhaps I'll incorporate those into my pieces too if you don't mind.

Really hope you get better soon. 

 

Thank you so much for your writeup and listen! I hope you never have to feel the world crumble around you, especially alone. I don’t know your life, but I can relay that the removal of autonomy of your body really can make perception itself seem like it is melting. 

yes, annoying high winds are annoying. Perhaps childish of me. Luckily for you, I only like to toy with sounds instead of overly lean into them. So, done and away as quick as it came! I think it creates a cool juxtaposition, though, which is why I wrote high winds in the 3 sections I did.

What do you want to steal? By all means, take it! I am especially proud of the celli melody split by quarter tones. And any quarter tone chords in the leadup to the end. Honestly the chords in this piece are just so hecking rad. Never heard anything like it.

Do not lose hope, ever. You're too young and talented, and there may be days where hope is the only thing you have to cling onto. 

Your music is inspirational, and thank you for sharing here where others can learn from your depth of knowledge and prowess as a composer. 

I truly hope the best for you, as all I can do for you is to hope too. Good luck my friend, I hope to hear more from you at some point. 

-Vince