Artist's Statement

Old neon signs are often so beautiful to me and now evoke a sense of bygone times. When these signs disappear from our local landscape, I’m always sad to see them go. Their loss leaves a void in our nighttime vibe, as the ubiquitous lighted displays that replace them possess little charm and design aesthetic.

Neon is an element abundant in the universe yet rare on Earth, and for this piece I imagined the noble gas drifting among the stars and solar wind.

The main instrument in this composition is the yangqin, a Chinese hammered dulcimer. Most people know me as a violinist, but I began learning to play yangqin in my youth only a year after beginning violin. I hadn’t touched this instrument in years, but the spirit of an old neon sign called me to pull this beast out of the closet to let its strings vibrate again with life.

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