Commissioned by the Johnstone Fund for Contemporary Music, happy/angry music was composed between May and August of 2017 for Bearthoven, who premiered the work at the Short North Stage in Columbus, Ohio.
The title, which occurred to me while composing, is like the music—direct yet baffling. “Happy” and “angry” are iconic words a child knows…juxtaposing them gets at how simple labels can combine into complex, zen-koan-like experience. This dichotomy seemed a fitting one for music that is at times punchy, raucous, roaring and delicate.
I would like to thank Phillip Nangle for building an mbira for this piece which is made to accommodate the specific pitches needed to perform this work.
Also thanks to Matt Evans, Pat Swoboda, and Karl Larson for lovingly putting the work together.