Kaylin Melton, Renee Neufer, Jonathan Um

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Our project focused on creating an original composition based on choreographer's visions as well as a foundation for them to build their dance around, aiming to bridge music and dance for a cohesive, immersive performance in the Evolution 2025 event. The composition provides a dynamic soundscape that evolves alongside the choreography, enhancing the movement and influencing the dancers. By blending varied textures and rhythms, we sought to create a unique experience where both music and dance shape and transform each other throughout the performance.​

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Background

Our composition explores the tension between individualism and collective identity through music and choreography. Collaborating with the choreographers shaped our writing as composers, while our music helped inspire their movement.​

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The project followed these steps:​

• Phase 1 (3 weeks): Sharing vignettes and viewing sample dances.​

• Phase 2 (6 weeks): Composing short musical ideas in response.​

• Phase 3 (9 weeks): Defining a theme and composing the first third of the piece.​

• Phase 4 (10 weeks): Peer review and choreographer feedback.​

• Phase 5 (11 weeks): Composing the remaining sections and refining.​

• Phase 6 (12 weeks): Attending rehearsal and completing an 8-minute draft.​

• Final Phase (13 weeks): Mixing, mastering, and final adjustments based on choreographer feedback.​

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A key challenge was ensuring our composition truly reflected the choreographers’ vision. Through ongoing revisions and open communication, we shaped a cohesive work where music and movement evolved together.​

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Materials

We used a variety of materials and tools to bring our vision to life. These included: ​

• Materials: Music composition software (Ableton Live/Logic), MIDI controllers, acoustic and digital instruments​

• Skills: composition, audio production, interdisciplinary collaboration, time management​

• Tools: Ableton Live, Logic, Google Drive, Zoom​

• Processes: Regular check-ins, peer feedback, collaborative workflow​

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Method

To complete our project, we started by creating musical vignettes that captured different moods and themes, which we then shared with the choreographers. They took inspiration from these vignettes and shared their ideas and vision with us, guiding the direction of the piece. We then collaborated as a group to compose and develop the music, ensuring it aligned with the choreographer’s vision for movement. Throughout the process, we regularly shared our work with each other, gathered feedback, and made revisions to refine the composition. This process continued until the final piece was completed.​

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Results

The result is a composition that embodies the conversation between music and dance, shaped through continuous collaboration with our choreographers. It captures the tension between individuality and collectivity, using dynamic shifts in sound, contrasting textures, and rhythmic interplay to reflect the dancers’ physical interpretations.​

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Next Steps

If I were to continue this project, I would spend more time with our choreographers in the composition process to allow for deeper integration between our sound and their movement. While the final piece successfully captured the intended themes, if more time was spent focusing on joint experimentation, we could further enhance the responsiveness of the music to the choreography. We’d also like to explore more experimental textures and unconventional structures. ​