Stepping Out

Stepping Out is about finding independence and taking on responsibility. It’s a scary and exciting journey to step into the unknown and find your own path. From a compositional perspective, it leads to questions like: Is this any good? Is this my voice? Will my peers approve? Should I care if they don’t? The untamed energy of this work, paired with its harmonic and melodic uncertainty, evokes a mix of anxiety and excitement that occurs as a young adult with a world of possibilities ahead. 

Dedicated to Patrick Baker, for his endless support through every step of my musical development.

Commissioned by the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) as part The ANAM Set (2021) and written for Lynda Latu and given its world premiere on 22 October 2021 at the Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne. The ANAM Set was funded by the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund – an Australian Government Initiative.

Difficulty: ★★★★★
The melodic virtuosity is suitable for tertiary or professional violinists, and the piano accompaniment is similarly complex.