The latest album release, “Tonal Eclipse,” is now officially available on all your favorite platforms!
Included in this release are:
“Tonal Eclipse (Of the Heart)” is a groovy mashup of live samples taken from spontaneous recordings captured by Sarah while visiting family in Hawaii, as well as a rehash of the historic train sounds in Pierre Schaeffer’s seminal “Railway Etude” from 1948.
The full soundtrack from the dark-humor film short, “I Spy a Foodie” — written and directed by Thresa Richardson — is included in this release! * Nominated for the 2020 Roger Taylor Award for Short Film Score *
Announcing the newest electronic/classical album — “Tonal Eclipse”! Pre-orders are currently available on Bandcamp and the official release on all platforms is scheduled for September 1!
Included in this release is the full, Roger Taylor Award Nominated soundtrack for the short film “I Spy a Foodie”! Click the link to get a taste of what’s to come…
This past spring, the Cal Poly Pomona Music and Dance Departments were gearing up to perform modern music with dance in an exiting concert together. Unfortunately Covid-19 hit, and the concert, with everything else, was cancelled. We are hoping to one day revive this effort, though.
In the meantime, the Dance Department put together a wonderful archive of what we had accomplished before the shutdowns. Below, enjoy a rehearsal video from the session when pianist Mike Jung and I were able to join the dancers, playing the first movement of my work “Gypsy Wanderer” as they rehearsed!
A little more insight about this particular project…
Choreography – Kim Gadlin (faculty) Music Composer and Performance by – Sarah Wallin Huff (faculty) Music – Gypsy Wanderer: Irreverently Performers – Francisca Chaparro, Alondra De Leon, Debbie Martin, Kara Rickman, Milan Robertson
The main theme of the dance was the feeling of being tied down, and eventually breaking free from shackles. There were ideas that the dancers were going to interact with the live musicians as they played on stage. I enjoyed how we all would learn phrases of movement and then decide amongst one another to decide who we thought performed it best or portrayed the vision precisely… All who were a part of the piece ensured an open and supportive space which allowed artistry and ideas to flow.
This piece illustrated strong performers attempting to release themselves from confinement. The choreographer had visions of the performers becoming entangled in ribbons trying to break free. The piece was packed with quick footwork and intricate floor work. The music was up-tempo, but lovely. It was very well done by a violinist and pianist; we even had the pleasure of meeting them and dancing to their piece live in the studio. I had high hopes for this piece and grew to love it. A big takeaway for me about this process was, there is beauty in the process of becoming.
Hearing this piece and being able to practice to it live was a whole new experience for all of us. Right away you could see a change in how we approached this dance and it felt amazing…The piece was so close to being finished…Hopefully we’ll be able to come back to the dance in the future since it held a strong presence.
Free-writes and reflections from (Per)spectives ensemble members
“Isolation Loop” is an original creation made with loops broken down from H.I.F. Biber’s Passacaglia for solo violin from his Rosary Sonatas of 1676. The viola and violins blend with a driving soundscape of synthesis and drums to create a haunting texture at home in any era.
Now out on your favorite streaming devices, Hope Unfolding is the latest must-hear single! Featuring stirring synths, violin soloing, and passionate beats, find it on your favorite music platform here.
Wallin-Huff’s brooding The Dark Glass Sinfonia is as mysterious as its title, the composer here melding atonality with modal harmony in a dramatic tone poem that recalls at certain moments Bartok and Shostakovich… The quality level is high throughout [the album], but the release earns its recommendation for the pieces by Alabaca, Wallin-Huff, and Vassdal in particular. Of all the album’s settings, one imagines these three would most stop an audience in its collective tracks upon encountering them in a concert set-list.
Inspired by the pandemic quarantine of 2020, this improvised work is an expression of relentless hope unleashed upon the world. On a day of feeling “cooped up” I was simply inspired to create this electronic backdrop of voices and texture, and the next day I pulled out my fiddle and enjoyed freely jamming around to this track.
