Kudzu Pull, from “The Land Shifts” - String Orchestra

Duration: 3.5 Minutes

Difficulty: Grade 5 (grading system details)

Written: 2024

Instrumentation:
-Violin I
-Violin II
-Viola
-Violoncello
-Double Bass

Teaching Materials coming soon!

Link to the full four-movement work:
-The Land Shifts

Other movements published as standalone concert works:
-Prescribed Fire

Program Note:

Kudzu Pull is a vibrant excerpt from The Land Shifts, a four-movement suite that explores the transformative process of reconnecting with the natural world. This movement introduces string players to less common key signatures, 1/2 position, and a wide range of musical textures, pushing the boundaries of both their technical and artistic skills.

The piece's musical development mirrors the process of restoring balance to the natural world. It draws performers into a dialogue of tension and release, trial and error, euphoria and overwhelm. Kudzu Pull offers an ideal balance of technical development and creative expression, encouraging ensembles to think critically about their sound, interpretive choices, and the power of music to tell a story.

Further Reading: (excerpted from the larger work)

2024 was the tenth anniversary of my working at the University of Rhode Island Summer Music Academy. As I drove back and forth to campus in July, I noticed a dense, viny ground cover on the sides of the highway that appeared to be charred and burnt at the very top. As I noticed it more and more, I wondered what it was, and worried if our warming and unpredictable climate was to blame. The scope of both the problem and its solution were revealed in due time.

Twisting, pulling, seeing, and burning: The Land Shifts explores these four land-based actions, where either the land or our perspective on it is altered. 

Movement II. Kudzu Pull is about a group of friends gathering to pull up “the vine that ate the south,” bit by bit. This plant—invasive to the Americas—takes over entire landscapes, choking out every competitor. They start out excited, quickly get exhausted, then soon begin to get the hang of it. The movement ends in frustration, as our efforts can feel futile, especially when facing a problem as vast as managing Kudzu. Yet every bit counts, and our peers can remind us of this with their support.

On the final drive back from the string academy, things clicked for me. That ground cover was an invasive species––either Knotweed or Kudzu. Rather than being pulled or burned to make room for native species, the state government sprayed it with chemicals before it reached the highway. The climate was not drying the plant out; the land was being mismanaged. This heartbreaking shift in perspective on the highway is what inspired this piece of music, which I hurriedly sketched on a friend's keyboard later that afternoon.

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