STRING QUARTET

April 2020 - Devil's Dream

Shortly after the California lockdown in Spring 2020, my little brother became very ill. Though he lived alone, we could not visit him for fear of spreading the disease and his local unprepared hospital would not take him as they "needed to focus on those more at risk". His fever was very high, and he was often not able to respond to phone calls to check on him. In this time I, like many musicians, had an enormous amount of unwanted free time. I sat in an isolated room listening to the hum of appliances, fumbling my way through a mandolin beginners book, imitating those hums with this new instrument, and becoming more and more fixated on the fiddle tune "Devil's Dream". Eventually I focused my energy onto this piece for the Friction Quartet as self therapy and as a diversion. Thankfully, after two grueling weeks my brother did recover.

Recording from October 2, 2021

Center for New Music San Francisco performed by Friction String Quartet Kevin Rogers, Otis Harriel, violin; Rachyl Martinez, viola; Doug Machiz, cello Audio/Video editing by Zach Miley Composer Kyle Hovatter