The LA Philharmonic's Power to the People! festival, running now through April 11, celebrates "the role artists have played and continue to play in advancing social change, civil rights, and humanitarian causes." One such artist is Windward's own Rylan Pozniak Daniels '20, whose original composition, titled "The Wobble", will be performed at the Walt Disney Concert Hall by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.
Part of the Symphonies for Schools program, this Power to the People! showcase aims to "help us see the world through another person's eyes or rally us all together. The Power to the People! Symphonies for Schools concerts celebrate the musicians and artists who help us to imagine the life and experiences of others—and it pays tribute to the music that gives us the strength to persevere when times are hard."
Rylan describes "The Wobble" as follows:
Digital media and the internet influence people's lives in unprecedented ways. Instruments resemble the "code" of an internet network, as they musically communicate with each other throughout the piece. "The Wobble" portrays a futuristic cybernetically-enhanced metropolis society controlled by massive mega-corporations, where the illusion of infinite economic growth is thrust into every aspect of society, from hovercars to augmented reality holographic displays, visually abstracted as "sparkly neon telecommunication". The core of the piece pertains to the concept of "axial precession", hence the title "The Wobble", which denotes the changing orientation of the Earth's rotational axis, which scientists have discovered is due in part to the effects of global warming. As the piece evolves, the wrath of climate change takes its toll on the industrialized city as the piece invokes more frantic, sinister themes. What was once the symbol of technological innovation and "optimal" human society has ultimately fallen to the wrath of nature. However, there is hope if humanity bonds together to save the world from "The Wobble".
This is far from Rylan's first foray into composing. Earlier this year, his piece "Turtle Odyssey To Mars" was premiered by the LA Master Chorale at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
The year is 2059. The winds of change have sparked fires of agony, and the Earth is threatening to be crippled under the weight of climate change. In an effort to establish a new human civilization, a ragtag taskforce of turtle astronauts is sent to the surface of Mars. This being the first interstellar voyage powered by turtles, who knows if the rocket ship can launch and and make its way to the Red Planet. The adventure of the quest for human salvation begins...
In addition, Rylan debuted his first performed composition, Martian Lithosphere, at the Walt Disney Concert Hall last Summer. This was rolled out in conjunction with an AR lens Rylan created specifically for Snapchat, of which you can read more about here.
Whether coding or composing, Rylan's work continues to impress. Be sure to check out "The Wobble" at the Walt Disney Concert Hall!