Influenced by a poem written by Mexican poet, Octavio Paz, Listen to me as one listens to the rain depicts the internal conflict of a person as they gradually lose their ability to communicate their thoughts and interact with the world around them.
The percussive instrument used in this piece is something I call a "soft-board". It is constructed from various materials including bubble wrap, metallic wrappers, and different textured papers attached to a flat board to create sounds that fit within the overall texture. Through the combination of sounds emanating from these three instruments, the performers create an atmosphere that demonstrates the quiet, tentative nature of human fragility and the role that communication plays in our lives.
Performed by Alice Teyssier, flute, Ryan Muncy, saxophone, and Ross Karre, percussion at Abrons Art Center (November 2016).