The Myths Underlying the American Narrative

for piano trio and video projection

I. Wild West

II. Action Hero

III. Into Night

Inspired by the acclaimed paintings of New York “psychological-pop” artist Jerry Kearns, Paleface explores the persistence of the American hero myth, even as it breaks down on every level in our contemporary society. It begins with the Western cowboy mythos— horses, cowboys, folk songs and church hymns (Jesus plays a lurking role in the piece), even a gun fight. Then it jumps to the varied 20th century heroes who struggle and triumph over dark forces—detectives from pulp comics and film noir, the secret agent, and the muscled action hero. Paleface concludes with all these icons now as phantoms, struggling in the night to cohere and make sense of a world they no longer can possibly describe. They ultimately all go to church and fade away to a ghost gospel choir.

The musical style of Paleface is contemporary classical with an Americana quality influenced by Ives, Copland, and George Crumb. In the Wild West movement, the pianist taps inside the piano to evoke distant galloping horses. All three instruments create a collage of a dozen folksongs and church hymns. The Action Hero movement has dissonant chase music, a jazzy “secret agent” tune, frantic blues, and…kazoos. The kazoo, an American invention, seemed the perfect voice for the heroes Kearns envisions: ripped, brawny, puffed up, yet unable to touch the ground. Both the musicians and audience participate in the fun.

Sometimes in synchrony, other times antiphonal, the video projection is an equal integrated partner with the music. Created by Amanda Tiller, the video pans slowly to reveal details and layers in Kearns’ paintings. The idea is for the relationship to be contrapuntal, music and image trading off between foreground and background.