ARE YOU THERE?

2026
At Hopscotch in Portland, OR

“Are You There?” is controlled by visitors through sixteen buttons that trigger synchronized music, animation, and light sequences. The combination of buttons pressed determines the song and visual sequence created.

A little about the process:
I started this piece last year in the way I usually do -
by writing a lot of music and making a lot of drawings on paper.

I came across a chord progression that was both hopeful and sad and then started writing melodies and harmonies on top of it. The music started out pretty uplifting, which is normal for me. But in the middle of writing it, my dad’s health started declining, and it became apparent that he might not have much more time on earth. I found myself writing sad melodies on top of the chord progression. It was kind of odd having this piece of music that was happy, sad, and absurd all at the same time.

With the drawings, I deliberately tried to draw the way I did when I was really young. A lot of it was inspired by watching the cycles of plant and animal life during my daily walks around Seward Park. It was also influenced by thinking about time in general and what happens to us after we die. My dad and I aren’t religious, but I think we both believe that the way we live beyond our physical selves is through how we treat others and the things and situations we create for them.