Alicia Castillo, ComposeR

My favorite musical moments I’ve had in all of my roles have all been experiences where I have been a partner amongst other musicians and interdisciplinary artists in the creative process to pioneer new ideas and ask “what if” together.

When I compose, I am always searching for something. Every time I meet the blank page at the beginning of a new piece I think of the scientific method as a model for inspiration; treating composing as a research experiment in acquiring new knowledge. I ask myself, “what is it I’m trying to explore?”, “what is my hypothesis?”, or “what might this piece teach me along the way?” The scientific method further inspires me because the method has the option for failure built into the framework. This is my mindset on composing; failure is a possibility, but it’s not the end, just simply part of the process to lead me in new directions. I love that I can try again and again; it’s addictive in that way. I want to be unafraid to take risks, accept critique with open arms, and be led to new questions. 

I don’t want to claim that I push the boundaries of new music with every single piece I write, but I like to think that with each new piece, I explore new situations for sounds and techniques that we are familiar with, and take risks in how I combine those elements. My favorite quote lately is one by Marcos Balter from his 2014 WQXR interview (check it out, it’s fantastic!), in which he says “The moment that I feel that things are too safe, too grounded, if I know a building will stand beautifully from the get-go, why build it?” This quote and the empirical process that is the scientific method capture the mindset I aim to have with composing. Every piece I write has the potential to change me and open new compositional doorways- that is what drives me to meet the blank page relentlessly.