ENGAGE, ENRICH, DISTURB: A Composer’s Mission

As a human being, I continue gaining more insight into the world around me and all the challenges we encounter daily. It’s given me a profound interest in promoting empathy. Lack of empathy is the core issue facing society today. I see how we isolate ourselves in our own individual perspectives, building walls where there should be windows, and the struggle becomes more pressing every day.

As a composer, I am an empathy advocate. I strive to create music that reaches beyond mere entertainment and moves the audience emotionally, socially, and intellectually. To achieve this, I rely on my artistic mantra: engage, enrich, disturb. As I see it, combining these elements is key to promoting empathy through music.

EngagE

I aim to create music that grabs the listener's attention and never lets go, evoking a strong emotional response while appealing to both expert and novice listeners. I achieve this with stark dynamic contrasts, powerful nostalgic harmonies, and focusing on limited materials. I also incorporate extramusical elements, such as references to visual art and narrative storytelling, to add another layer of engagement for listeners who may find music, the most abstract of all art forms, alienating but are more readily drawn to such stimuli. My goal is for the listener to be fully immersed in the music and experience a strong emotional connection.

Enrich

I want to expand the listener's musical and cultural knowledge. I attempt to achieve this by incorporating diverse musical elements from different cultural and historical traditions. Both my own inherited traditions and those I have come to love and admire as an outsider while being mindful to avoid cultural appropriation. Music has the power to bring people together and promote cross-cultural understanding. I aim to use my work to further this goal while respecting cultural traditions and perspectives. I want to create music that is not only emotionally powerful but also intellectually stimulating, providing listeners with a new and unique musical experience.

DISTRUB

I want to challenge the listener's perceptions and encourage them to question their beliefs. Musically, I achieve this through the use of unconventional harmonies, experimental textures, and unexpected musical twists. Extramusically I have utilized commentary on social issues such as the removal of Confederate monuments from public spaces and environmental disasters like the Porter Ranch gas leak. I want to create music that pushes the boundaries of what is considered "normal" to spark intellectual curiosity and challenge conventional thinking.

By focusing on these key elements, I hope to create music that engages the listener emotionally, enriches their musical and cultural experiences, and disturbs their perceptions, leading to a deeper understanding of the world and oneself and the immense power of empathy.

-Stephen Cabell