Kuusi
Joanne Z.
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”Kuusi” (The Spruce) is part of a collection of five piano pieces by Sibelius named for different trees. I discovered its arrangement for marimba by Eriko Daimo, which captures Finnish spruce trees in rolling hills of snow, and resolved to learn it because I loved its evocative melody and swift, cascading arpeggios. The challenge in interpreting them musically came from learning to breathe: practicing patience most of all. This piece and performance became about finding a pace I liked, about imagining trees, and about taking the moment, however brief, to feel as much as execute.
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Creativity is deeply personal because it’s a synthesis of an individual’s life and experiences. I use the art, music, and writing I’ve consumed in the past to produce new things I can call my own.