Solarpunk

for Strings

I. Nucleus
II. Looking out through stained-glass, solar-panel windows
III. A future earned (Leave it in the ground, leave it in)
IV. Under-recognized constellations

Duration: 14:00

Program Notes

Solarpunk is a subgenre of art and literature that imagines a future where humans have achieved a sense of harmony between their technological innovations and their relationship to nature. It was an offshoot of parent genres like cyberpunk and steampunk, but diverges greatly in that it was born partially as a response to the increasing popularity of dystopian fiction (like what is often present in cyberpunk). Ultimately, the subgenre—and this piece—are about telling different kinds of stories about climate change: ones that don’t simply inspire dread and hopelessness, but instead try to imagine a better world and how we might get there.

The piece is in four parts or movements that are played continuously. Part I was inspired by the science of nuclear fission and generating power from it: splitting a uranium atom by bombarding it with neutrons produces two to three more neutrons as a byproduct, one of which then goes on to split another atom, thus starting a controlled chain reaction; the energy produced heats water into steam, which turns turbines, which produces electricity, flowing away and powering our lives.

Part II was most directly inspired by solarpunk—particularly its visual art and aesthetic, which is bright, vivid, green, and heavily influenced by styles like Art Nouveau. Part III was inspired by punk and metal music (my home turf) and protest chants. Something I find missing from the often-utopic art of the subgenre is a sense of how we could arrive there, and exploring and urgently moving forward on possible solutions—practical or fantastical—will be key parts of a compelling story.

Part IV takes its title from an essay by Rebecca Solnit called “When the Hero is the Problem,” which talks about how we’re great at telling stories about individuals triumphing over violent challenges, but not so much about large numbers of people making change through quieter, coordinated, and perhaps even mundane ways, working every day on solutions to the complex problems we face.

(2023)

Commissioned by the Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton with the assistance of the Edmonton Arts Council.

Click here for an excerpt of the score. Recording available upon request.