Acknowledgments: Dr. Ann Marie Bingham, Dr. Stephen Lawson, Dr. Jeffrey Pappas, Dr. Martin Saunders

About Butterfly Effect

A shape and a type of motion led me to create this piece. Thinking about writing for a string orchestra, I came up with a drawing: scrawled wide, and far apart lines gradually getting denser and shorter through a center point and then gradually becoming wide and far apart again. This drawing looked like a butterfly and the imagery and sound of a butterfly flapping its wings was effortlessly created when mapped on a gradually changing rhythm. Further, the numbers of instruments were used to determine the pitch collection and the intervallic organization of the sections.

The notion that a butterfly flapping its wings in one area of the world could cause a hurricane to occur in another area of the world is called "the butterfly effect." However, the piece does not necessarily depict such a happening. I chose the title because the drawing and revealing rhythms inspired the expression.

Esin Gunduz

Orchestra Personnel:

Abby Holmes, concertmaster, Korey Jividen, Tim Feverston, Lindsay DiFatta, Melody Cook, Emiko Hori, George Beter, Rebecca Lepanto, Samuel Bauserman, violin I

Janet Bromley, principal, Mehmet Anaer, Lauren Keller, Megan Hunt, Basil Dixon, Kelcey Perkins, violin II

Dilek Engin, principal, Lauren McDaniel, Susan Cook, Jame C. McCumbee, viola

Caitlin Zirkle, principal, James Kiger, Jaime Dzierzak, Dean Pauley, cello

Rebecca Harrison, bass

Lance Arthur, principal, Brittany White, flute

Brittany White, piccolo

Laura Mullins, principal, Emily Cline, Cassandra Thompson-Chapman, oboe

Cassandra Thompson-Chapman, English horn

Robert Heath II, principal, Emilea Burgh, clarinet

Hannah Bird, bass clarinet

Kay Lawson, principal, Lauren Kemp, bassoon

Nick Amis, principal, William Holderby II, Kristen Liegey, Kristen Bobuk, horn

Joshua Richardson, principal, Mary Heath, Briana Blankenship, trumpet

Katie Ferber, principal, Alexander Conn, trombone

Jason Rose, bass trombone

John Arthur, tuba

Michael Cochran, principal, Joe Crowe, Reece Watkins, percussion