Where I Came From - FULL SCORE, PARTS, AUDIO
Contains the full PDF (only) Full score, engraved parts, and .zip Logic Pro file containing the audio, mapped to the chromatic scale on a MIDI keyboard.
Please note, there are 2 Logic files - One labeled “rehearsal” which requires the MIDI keyboard note to be held down, and one labeled for “performance”, where the audios are one-shot and do not require to be held.
CONTENT WARNING: This work contains racial slurs historically directed towards people of Asian descent, and listener discretion is advised. The use of this language reflects actual insults spoken to me during my life, and the work is about overcoming such hate and discrimination. But, I acknowledge that these words are hurtful and may cause discomfort to listeners.
Spring of 2024, I came to my professor, Yevgeniy Sharlat, with an idea to write about being told “go back to where you came from” throughout my life, and the anxiety that comes with avoiding racial profiling in public settings. But, he respectfully challenged me, asking, “Why does this phrase, specifically, hurt so bad?” As we kept talking through that 50 minute lesson, I started to realize the core of the piece wasn’t the offensive phrase. The core of the piece was my upbringing, growing up in Thailand and America, and the beauty and ugliness behind both. As Prof. Sharlat and I traded stories of growing up abroad and in America, I started to realize this feeling of being unwelcomed in the U.S, yet also our home country, was the story of many bi-cultural Americans. I wanted this piece to be a brutally honest representation of my experiences in an all-too-common story.
With most of my music, I have a firm layout of a story before writing, but with this piece, I knew I needed more than just music; I needed the actual words I heard growing up, both beautiful and offensive. I wanted the dialogue to feel raw, as if I were telling a story to a friend, similar to the sound of modern-day podcasts and audiobooks. “Where I Came From” is not about the fear of an offensive phrase. It is about finding the beauty of uniqueness, through adversity, everyday.
Kevin Charoensri July 2024
Contains the full PDF (only) Full score, engraved parts, and .zip Logic Pro file containing the audio, mapped to the chromatic scale on a MIDI keyboard.
Please note, there are 2 Logic files - One labeled “rehearsal” which requires the MIDI keyboard note to be held down, and one labeled for “performance”, where the audios are one-shot and do not require to be held.
CONTENT WARNING: This work contains racial slurs historically directed towards people of Asian descent, and listener discretion is advised. The use of this language reflects actual insults spoken to me during my life, and the work is about overcoming such hate and discrimination. But, I acknowledge that these words are hurtful and may cause discomfort to listeners.
Spring of 2024, I came to my professor, Yevgeniy Sharlat, with an idea to write about being told “go back to where you came from” throughout my life, and the anxiety that comes with avoiding racial profiling in public settings. But, he respectfully challenged me, asking, “Why does this phrase, specifically, hurt so bad?” As we kept talking through that 50 minute lesson, I started to realize the core of the piece wasn’t the offensive phrase. The core of the piece was my upbringing, growing up in Thailand and America, and the beauty and ugliness behind both. As Prof. Sharlat and I traded stories of growing up abroad and in America, I started to realize this feeling of being unwelcomed in the U.S, yet also our home country, was the story of many bi-cultural Americans. I wanted this piece to be a brutally honest representation of my experiences in an all-too-common story.
With most of my music, I have a firm layout of a story before writing, but with this piece, I knew I needed more than just music; I needed the actual words I heard growing up, both beautiful and offensive. I wanted the dialogue to feel raw, as if I were telling a story to a friend, similar to the sound of modern-day podcasts and audiobooks. “Where I Came From” is not about the fear of an offensive phrase. It is about finding the beauty of uniqueness, through adversity, everyday.
Kevin Charoensri July 2024