February.
But what beauty shall I find in you?
With your dry, cold, shallow sunlight
peeking in, mid-low between skeletal bodies
stretched skyward.
The forest an ensemble of standing giants
in a collective coma.
February.
The length of your winter
a continuity that makes me wonder how this place,
elegantly stark
and sepia toned,
was once an overabundance of
Life –
A wealth of green and colorful birds.
A wood thrush calls from the lustrous and prurient canopy.
The high sun winks a promise it will never keep.
– 2.21.2020
Published by jessmaysmusic
Jessica Mays is a composer, pianist, and singer-songwriter currently residing in New York City. Born in Denver, CO, she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Composition and Theory from the University of Denver. She holds a Master’s of Music Composition from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music.
Mays’ music has been performed by numerous soloists and ensembles both locally and abroad, including the Playground Ensemble, Nebula Ensemble, the Lamont Symphony Orchestra, Montreal’s’ Ensemble Paramirabo, Ensemble Lunatik, Thin Edge New Music Collective, and many others. Her music was featured on Loon Lake Live’s 20th season in New York (2016). Mays was a featured composer and performer for the Cluster Music Festival 2013 installment titled “POP + NOISE.” She was also selected as a guest composer for The Labo de musique contemporaine de Montréal (2013). She has written arrangements for both large and small forces on variety of projects with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Her music has received praise from such major publications as the Boston Globe and the Boston Musical Intelligencer.
Mays currently manages the New York Philharmonic Very Young Composers (VYC) program alongside VYC Founder and Artistic Director, Jon Deak.
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