DESCRIPTION
In 2006, a 28-year-old shot six youth, then killed himself.
Thinking about the Capitol Hill shootings close to home and bombs
dropping on the other side of the world, I created
Piao Zhu: Flying Bamboo, a site-responsive ceremony.
Ji Mo 寂寞: The Stillness of Solitude began as a reworking of Piao Zhu for
Lincoln Hall. My cast and I talked about the acute isolation felt by
the Capitol Hill shooter, those who commit suicide and the hikikomori -
adolescents and young adults in Japan who withdraw from society.
I struggle to connect those who are perpetually on orange alert with
happy drumming. How can I create a music that is both relevant and
pleasurable?
In Ji Mo, my collaborators and I go beyond the comforting
heartbeat of the drums to explore the distress signals of memory and
loss. Through this ceremony, we can hopefully come together and feel a
bit less lonely.
Byron Au Yong
DETAILS
- Duration 19 minutes
- Premiered at Lincoln Hall, April 2007
- Commissioned by Portland Taiko
PRESS QUOTES"Seattle's Byron Au Yong brings a highly visual theatricality."
Portland Tribune
"Taiko
is often about loud, rapid drumming that thrills audiences with its
physicality. But Portland Taiko takes a different tack with a new work
on its upcoming concert... Ji Mo: The Stillness of
Solitude by Byron Au Yong is a healing meditation."
The Oregonian