Hayden Kline's Brown University Application Portfolio
Submission 1: A Waltz in Witches' Wood
The large-scale project I have been working on for a few years now is titled "Supernatural", where I try to bridge my worlds of film and concert music. Specifically, I want to evoke very specific pictures ingrained in the collective Western psyche through media consumption, yet using only the audio sounds of a full orchestra and choir. This piece began with a complicated story that I wanted to tell only through music. Can you tell what story I'm trying to evoke here? For a more condensed snippet, please try 0:00-3:04.
Submission 2: City Atop the Dunes
Another piece written for Supernatural, this one was the origin of the work. This was one of the first pieces I ever wrote, over a decade ago. Over the years, I've been revising and refining the design and feel of the piece until it became what I wanted to. I don't believe art is ever really done, and I look forward to another decade of revising and refining this piece and others yet to come. For a shorter snippet, I would recommend 0:08-3:34.
Submission 3: Silhouettes in Moonlight
Silhouettes in Moonlight was originally written for my partner back in the fall of 2019, and it unknowingly became a very interesting piece, culturally. As the final piece I wrote before the Pandemic, it turned into a time capsule of what I remember New York City of being. Having lived here both before and after 2020, the music I would write on either side is starkly different. But somehow I hope I can return to the aura of when I wrote Silhouettes in Moonlight. For a shorter snippet, I would recommend 3:10-4:57.
Submission 4: Elysian Halls
Elysian Halls is the finale of my Supernatural series. This one holds a very unique place in my heart, as it was the first piece I wrote during the beginning of the Pandemic, and it was also reflective of the bittersweet feeling I had of graduating my Master's program remotely, without being able to say goodbye to the many friends I made along the way. If you would like a shorter snippet, I'd recommend 2:28-5:23.
Bonus Submission: Exogenesis
As a composer, my Achilles' Heel is the human voice. I believe it's the most expressive and unique instruments we have. Ever since hearing my first work for choir, I've always tried to include it however I can and in any capacity that fits the piece I'm working on. This piece in particular was originally arranged for my Yale undergraduate thesis in music, originally about the use of religion in popular music. It's an arrangement of Muse's "Exogenesis" for six voices (SATTBB). I had always wanted it to be performed live, but never had the opportunity until, ironically, the pandemic, when I decided to record all the vocals myself. This is still a work-in-progress, but I don't think any portfolio submission of mine would be complete without a piece primarily arranged for voices.