Sea Monkey

2010
/
Chamber

Details

Category

Chamber

instrumentation

cello & marimba

duration

9'

commissioned by

premiered by

Purchase Score

I. Cryptobiosis
II. Instant-Life

Sea Monkeys are a variant of brine shrimp, a species which enters cryptobiosis, a natural state of suspended animation in which their metabolic activity is reduced to an undetectable level without disappearing altogether. This enables the Sea Monkeys to be sold as a dry powder. When the powder is poured into water, live shrimp appear within hours, and can grow up to an adult length of 2 centimeters within one year. The purchaser of Sea Monkeys receives three packages: a water purifier package, a food package, and an instant life eggs package. When released into a prepared aquarium, the sea monkeys leave their cryptobiosis state and emerge into the water. The Sea-Monkey was given the term "instant life" to reflect the instant hatching seen when the powder is added to the saltwater medium.

In the first movement of the piece, I tried to depict an atmosphere that seems rather dry, only using a two not motive that prevails throughout. The music is rather emotional, which in a way, maybe even ironically, represents a distant need these brine shrimp have to jump into the water to become alive. Moving without stop into “Instant-Life, this movement is meant to represent sudden dance the sea monkeys ensue when they immediately come to life. This last movement is meant to be fun, exciting, and liberating music for these sea monkeys to jump and jive to.