The saying “greater than the sum of its parts” comes from emergence—a property of a large system that its individual parts do not possess. For example, ant colonies exhibit group behavior of an intelligence far greater than a single ant. In philosophy, emergentists argue consciousness is an emergent property of complex life. In music, emergence can occur when instruments combine to create an ensemble—with each individual sound-color (timbre) mixing, clashing, or harmonizing.
Emergence deals with the musical phenomenon of emergence through the exploration of instrumental, rhythmic, and stylistic combinations. However, the piece is also symbolic of an emergence in my artistic journey, where I embody my fullest musical self.
Reading session: Albany Symphony, Troy NY, 6/7/26