Dissection
Abstract
Like nearly all of my works, this piece can be considered semi-autobiographical and contains loosely programmatic material. I call it "loosely programmatic" because although there is a background story through which the music progresses, the path it takes and its means of description are quite broad.
A brief summary of the underlying story is as follow: In September of 2011 my wife and I had our second child. In November of the same year, my wife suffered a stroke that resulted from a vertebral artery dissection caused by a chiropractic neck manipulation. Needless to say, it was a turbulent period. The horror, confusion and uncertainty that permeated our many days in the hospital existed simultaneously with the joys and difficulties of having a new baby, as well as a 5 year old just starting kindergarten. At most times during that first two weeks, everything amalgamated into a nearly crippling numbness. "Survival mode" seems a fitting term. As time went on, my wife's condition improved and we attempted to recover our sanity and began to emotionally process the events that had taken place. Anger, bitterness, sadness, frustration and exhaustion continued to mix with gratefulness for our friends' and family's support, the optimism of a swift and nearly complete recovery and the inexplicable joy of seeing your child smiling. This piece represents my process of understanding and excogitating.