“Good night, Darwin.”

Album
CD Cover (drawing by Brian Cobb, design by Wing Fong)

“…. Good night, Darwin.” was sparked two-fold by Charles Darwin’s words “from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved” and the birth of my daughter, Darwin. The simple spark in this music are a collection of musical pitches extracted from Darwin’s full name (D, A, Eb, C & B). Although this concept of writing music directly influenced by name letters is not new to music, Bach and Shostakovich are two shining examples that have employed this technique. What I find intriguing, from a creative standpoint, is the simplicity this focus offers. It narrows the decision making process on one level while freeing the mind to dedicate focus in other musical areas. But, “from so simple a beginning” this music remains true.

Structurally, “Good night, Darwin” is divided into the seven days of the week. The arch of movements naturally flows with the ebb and flow of the week, many of us parents and workaholics know that Friday is not the day that presents excitement, it’s actually the day of full energy depletion. While Sunday is a family day, leading back to Monday the reset day with one’s focus straight ahead. The cyclical force of the week is so influential to how we perceive time and how we exert energy and focus.

Each day movement re-imagines the possibilities of Darwin’s musical pitches with the distinct goal of creating a new sonic atmosphere for each day. My initial conception of the work was to create a collection of ambient lullabies for my daughter, but as ambient field recordings were accumulated and the music evolved through each day I realized that I was composing, not only for a child, but for the adult too. In the end, I wanted to create music that my daughter, Darwin, would embrace at 40yrs as much as she would at 4yrs.” Dr. Brian Cobb

http://www.briancobbmusic.com/darwin

Last Updated December 28, 2023