SURFACE, which is also the second movement of Shapiro's electroacoustic wind symphony suite IMMERSION, is a mini percussion concerto that reflects a Harbor seal's dramatic lunchtime assault on a Giant Pacific octopus, witnessed by the composer from her studio as she began writing this movement. A sudden explosion through the calm water revealed two animals flailing in battle one moment, then diving below to deceptive stillness ... until the next violent eruption. The seal eventually won its meal, but not without the chaos of significant effort. In this habitat of life and struggle, every day brings a challenge.
To perform the piece, you'll need an audio system capable of playing the prerecorded audio tracks from a laptop computer via a small digital audio interface connected to an audio mixer. Download information is provided with the materials. Duration: 3:55.
