Last weekend, I completed a round-up review based around classical music. I’m a big fan of the genre and one of the songs that caught my fancy was Becoming by Claire Bigley. If you haven’t gotten round to listening to it yet, you can find the song at the end of this interview!
By Jane Howkins
You released a song recently that we reviewed, titled Becoming. What can you tell us about the track?
Becoming was recorded with the intention to musically chronicle the process of creating. The drone represents the grounding and connection to self (a higher power or anything the listener may deem beyond themselves) and then you begin to hear snippets of a theme start to present. These fragments start out a bit disjointed and by the end finally take form for a cohesive melody. The listener is privy to the dance that happens as something is allowed the space and attention to come to fruition. Hopefully the track has calmed and soothed the listener along the way!
Becoming comes from an EP called Emergence. What can you tell us about the overall EP?
Actually, Emergence is considered an album… not an EP. Though just under 30 minutes in duration, it is 8 tracks long. Therefore it is considered an album over here. Emergence for me is roughly a half hour musical invitation to a journey into the listener’s soul. As I recorded, I purposely allowed myself to play from different states of being and therefore each of these tracks, when listening, takes the listener to a different inner state (hopefully). I was very particular with the pacing of this album and the order of each track. Quieting Tremors is meant to gently invite the listener in, Solitude to deepen the calm and start to activate inner dialogue of the listener, Awaken the Deep to further deepen the experience yet introduce a balm with some nature sounds, Becoming to start to encourage new ideas/a way of being, Ancestral Blessings to give respite, comfort and acknowledgement, Souljourn to honour and claim the insight and experience unfolding, Solitude (Ambient Version) to gently start to bring the listener back to the surface, and finally Emergence to anchor and solidify the journey. Ideally each listen will take the listener to where they most need to go.
Where can Emergence be purchased and how has the reception been so far?
Emergence is available for purchase on my website, Amazon and Apple Music as a download and I do have physical CDs available on my website. The reception so far has been amazing! Emergence has received a lot of wonderful reviews and I am receiving really detailed feedback from some listeners sharing their experience while listening. It’s fascinating to me as though I created this album with the intentions I’ve shared, I never expected anyone else to experience it in the same way, yet the feedback has been that listeners really emerge from listening to this album feeling as though they stepped out of a musical massage. It’s fascinating to me!
Do you have any singles planned for release from the EP?
I did release singles from this album ahead of time. I had released all but Becoming and the final track, Emergence, as singles prior. At some point I realised I had something to say in gathering these singles and including some new tracks. I had them all mastered by the talented Carson Elliot (I did the singles without any mastering/mixing help) and set about releasing Emergence. I’m really glad I did!
Have you started writing for another EP/album?
I do have another single dropping on September 22nd called Embodiment. A piano solo with a very minimalism slant. I also have ideas for releasing a version of it later as a piano/cello duet.
Did the pandemic hinder your work much?
Actually, the pandemic allowed me more space and time to record more and learn more about recording. I don’t know that I would have released my second album, Love Letters in the Time of Covid, or Emergence, without that time and the reboot experience I know I experienced with the pandemic.
Your music belongs firmly within the classical music category. What/who are you influenced by and what have you been listening to recently?
Growing up I went through musical phases. I would stumble upon something I loved and I would completely immerse myself in it until I was ready to move on. My first experience with that was Scott Joplin. I discovered his music by watching The Sting – I begged my parents to let me get a big music book of his songs and then just learned as much as I could (his music was beyond my abilities at that time). I’ve kind of had that kind of relationship with Chopin, Barber, the rock group RUSH – the list goes on and on. Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of other pianists and cellists. Olafur Arnalds, Jordi Fornis, Rose Riebl and Jami Sieber have been on loop lately.
Where are you based? What is the local music scene like there at the moment?
I live in New Orleans. New Orleans is a city that lives and breathes music. Life seems to have re-emerged since the pandemic nicely. Though musicians here were hit hard, musicians are a resilient bunch!
Do you have any UK tour dates planned?
I do not have any tour dates planned. I am very new to recording. Up until now, I’ve always performed as a classical musician, accompanying recitals and such. I have been scheduled in Chicago for a 2 hour seminar at the Infinity Foundation in January. I do plan to play there. Who knows what will present for me. I think it would be amazing to tour.
Any last words for the fans?
Thank you so much for listening! It means the world to me to hope that this music might provide comfort, inspiration and empowerment to listeners. I love getting feedback that continues to support the idea that many of us intrinsically know – music can be medicine. Thanks again!