published in VenusZine.com on 05/26/08
Why did you move to the Continental U.S. from Puerto Rico? What sorts of challenges do you face being away from home?
I moved to NYC in the fall of 2006 to do my masters in music composition at New York University. It's definitely a bit overwhelming to move to such a huge city from a tiny island, but the change has been good so far. Of course, it was hard at first to catch up with the super fast pace of life and the constant rush, but you get used to it. The weather is also hard to get used to 'cause in Puerto Rico it's summer all year long.
On your latest blog, you talk about drawing music (as in line drawing). What do you mean by that? Where did you find the inspiration to "draw" music?
For me, the most important thing in composing a piece of music has always been the form and I determine that by making a drawing of the piece before I start writing notes on staff paper. Making a drawing allows me to think of the music in terms of texture, shape, contour, gesture, color, and intensity, and also helps me organize my ideas without being restricted to the limitations of traditional notation. Music for me is always tied to colors and shapes.
How many instruments can you play? What goes through your mind when composing for so many instruments?
My main instrument has always been the violin since I was little, but I also play accordion, a little bit of harp and piano, and lots of toy instruments—which are my favorites. As a composer, I think it's very important to familiarize yourself with as many instruments as possible because it helps a lot when writing for them. I love writing for orchestra because the color possibilities are endless, but I also love the intimacy that a small group of instruments convey. I feel like every piece is a microcosm of its own and the instrumentation comes after that. What you want to say with your music will tell you the medium you'll need in order to express it.
What are you working on now?
My main project right now is the electro-acoustic pop band Balún, in which I collaborate with my husband and two other friends, but I've also done two full-length solo ambient albums under the name Arturo en el Barco. In this project, I write lo-fi ambient compositions that are mostly electronic, piano, and strings based.
I'm currently working on an album of my compositions under my name, but it's a more ambitious project since it involves many musicians playing my music and lots of rehearsal time. I started with the idea of making an album of only instruments that I know how to play but I ended up wanting to add more and more instruments so the project is starting to get out of hand…
Read the article here.