I’m going to be presenting a concert of my music, both electronic and acoustic, at my alma mater, Bates College next month. Thinking about the venue, I decided that the performance of my fixed-media pieces could be enhanced by adding a video component, so I enlisted the talents of fellow Bates alum Chris Hoover. Here is one of the videos that he created, and that will be presented at the concert next month, “hatsuyuki”

right-click here to download iPhone-ready video

This piece is based on a text by Japanese poet Matsuo Basho (1644-1694). The text, “hatsuyuki ya suisen no ha no tawamu made,” translates to: “First snow, daffodilsʼ leaves, until bending.” (meaning: “The first snow is just enough to bend the leaves of the daffodils.”)

The inspiration for the visual portion of this piece draws directly from the first word of the text, hatsuyuki. When the first snow falls, it often melts on impact with the ground – still warm with the very last of the late-fall sun’s energy. The first snow marks a discrete transition between two seasons, made palpable in this film by the constant motion of the clouds in the background and quick jump-cuts between the cold weather outdoors and a man wearing a scarf and keeping warm indoors.