Composer's Note

Wake Up, Gracie is a concerto for Violin and Sinfonietta written for virtuoso violinist, Gracie Carney.

Wake, Up Gracie features two realities, each with its own “Gracie.” The reality in one reality features a young woman coming to terms with a injury, dreaming of herself playing a violin concerto. The second reality features a young woman playing a virtuosic violin concerto, dreaming of self-actualization.

Each dream dreams dreams of the other dream dreaming dreams of the first: in the words of Baroque playwright Pedro Calderón de la Barca—y los sueños, sueños son.

As the piece progresses, these two realities—as well as the dual identities of the protagonist—begin to intersect: strands from one reality perforate the other, fracturing both; sounds from one become audible in the other via sonic wormholes that materialize, degrade, shatter, and evanesce. In a convergence of identity, the two worlds finally merge, leaving only one Gracie at the confluence of the two Gracie’s dreams.

This work is dedicated to my dear friend Gracie Carney who both premiered the work and inspired its composition.

Cheers.