Composed by Andy Akiho ‘11 MM, performed by Sandbox Percussion and directed for live performance by Michael Joseph McQuilken ‘11 CDR, “Seven Pillars” marks the first public performance held in Commons at the Schwarzman Center since its opening.
An exploration of percussion and light, the piece consists of four solos interspersed between seven movements, with “movement” being a musical and literal designation. Throughout the piece, the musicians are constantly in motion with both their instruments and each other— running across the stage as they play various arrangements, reconfiguring each other’s instruments in between parts, or doing both at the same time. In addition to being performers, every member of the quartet is also a stagehand, controlling lighting cues via a single, shared iPad.