the Me you See
Commissioned by The New Gallery Concert Series
Premiered April 2022
the Me you See is a 15 minute, immersive live music and video piece. For its premiere it featured all of the artists in the “Adopt and Adapt” program - a string quartet, quatro trio, pianist, percussion quartet, and numerous community member volunteers - as physical performers, and projected beings. As its theme, it can be adapted for a variety of performer combinations and settings.
The Story
As an adoptee, a version of my birth family always lived in my mind. Seeded with small bits of information my parents were given from the adoption agency, the imagined existence of my roots grew over time. In 2018, I chose to seek out and meet my birth mother and half-sister, as I was taking the step into motherhood myself. This process opened questions and curiosities, and offered an opportunity to not only learn about my past, but also about myself in the present.
What we see and truly understand of each other is only a small representation of the depth of lived experience that one embodies. Sometimes we live as imagined characters in each other's minds, and sometimes we are able to connect, grow, and develop together.
Premiered at the New Gallery Concert Series by:
Sarah Bob
Gabriela Díaz
Lilit Hartunian
Ashleigh Gordon
David Russell
Steph Davis
Aaron Trant
Fabiola Méndez
Juan Maldonado
Miguel Martinez
Dr. Abby Fisher
Dr. Matthew Lau
Maya Johnson
Luping (Robyn) Xu
Leo Trant
Sabrina Raber
Denver Nuckolls
Olivia Hunt Thomas
Ben Haimann
Photos by Sam Brewer