Contrafactual Archaeology

This paper will explain my current compositional work, which focuses on the thematization, deconstruction, and reconstruction of musical idioms. I give an overview of the historical and aesthetic background for my work, drawing connections between Afro-diasporic aesthetics and the 20th and 21st century phenomenological tradition. I explain how I apply literary critic Henry Louis Gates’ concept of Signifyin(g) in my music through intertextuality, anachronistic instrumentation, microtonality, and rhythmic transformation. I then give an in- depth analysis of three pieces from Orlando Furioso (2022), En Tornasol, Galliard, and Bootstrap Bernie. I show how these concepts and resources can be applied to composition in creative and productive ways.