Again with the Thoughts
Marimba quartet or ensemble • 2026 • 5'
Artwork by Stephanie Swilley
Program Note
Again with the Thoughts (2026), for marimba quartet or ensemble, grew from frustration with willful harm, the relentless churn of current events, and the unsettling experience of thoughts that return uninvited, circling and accumulating despite every attempt to set them aside. Anger, grief, disbelief, empathy, and exhaustion seem to arrive together, accompanied by recurring questions—How has this become normal? How can this be allowed to happen?
Although written as an acoustic work, Again with the Thoughts draws inspiration from electronic music processes. Delay and tape speed effects serve as primary developmental tools, allowing ideas to echo, overlap, stretch, and transform as they reappear. Material returns altered but familiar, creating a landscape of recurring questions, memories, and unresolved tension.
At its heart, the work is a plea against indifference and resignation—a reminder to resist becoming comfortable with cruelty, to remain present, and to continue caring. Some thoughts are fleeting. Others deserve to return when the world gives us reason. Again.
Performance Information
Performance information coming soon.
Recording