A THOUSAND INNER VOICES
by Mathew Campbell

And We Were Heard’s 2022 Fundraising Consortium Piece - thank you, Mat!

GRADE 4 VERSION:

GRADE 2.5 VERSION:

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Grade 4 | 5:30 | © 2022
Grade 2.5 | 4:30 | © 2022

In December 2021, Dr. Kaitlin Bove approached me to compose a new piece for the ...And We Were Heard organization. It would serve as a fundraising work for yearly expenses - and the organization would receive all of the proceeds of the consortium. I’ve always believed in the mission Dr. Bove and the rest of the ...And We Were Heard team started out on, and I was incredibly excited to do a small part to contribute to the organization.

I was just coming off my first premiere at The Midwest Clinic, and I was wondering what was next. Within weeks, my head was flooded with doubtful thoughts that I had peaked as a composer and it was all downhill from there. I did my best to cope with these thoughts, but I could not shake them. I had a myriad of projects to complete, and I couldn’t quiet what felt like a thousand inner voices telling me that I wasn’t good enough. Then I did what I do best, and I came up with the idea for this piece. Composing this piece was a coping mechanism, especially because it freed my mind to create freely and justify to those voices that I can do what I want to do. ...That I can accomplish my goals. ...That I can quiet said voices.

The many musical layers in this work represent the thousand inner voices. Some are positive, but most are negative. They distract from the theme and mock it at times. This battle between positive and negative lasts to the end of the piece where we hear a triumphant chord only to be followed by a sinking, negative ending. After all, this piece isn’t about only quieting these voices. It’s about learning to live with them.

I wanted to share musical inspiration and call to all who come in contact with this piece to be brave enough to rise above these doubtful voices. With this courage to pursue and achieve our goals with our one true voice, we may finally say “and we were heard.”

Grade 4 version recorded on October 30th, 2022 by the South Sound Symphonic Band and John Wetherington.