an interactive workshop
&
commissioning project
EXPLORING THE INTERSECTION OF BREATH, SOUND, AND THE FLUTE.
Just Breath
A COMMISSIONING PROJECT
Just as breath is the currency of life, so too is it the currency of the flute’s sound. Because of this elemental connection, the sound of the flute transcends music, embodying something deeply essential. Together with the flute, the human voice and percussion make up a trio of the world’s oldest instruments, each of which similarly represents the essence of sound, and by extension, life itself.
Catherine assembles a diverse array of composers around the exploration of this relationship of sound, breath, and life through the prism of contemporary music, commissioning a collection of new miniatures. The set of miniature pieces together will constitute an hour-long theatrically conceived performance called Just Breath that is both driven by the flute but also richly collaborative.
Catherine performs in Weill Hall with percussionist Ian Rosenbaum
breath [
breTH]
noun
the air taken into or expelled from the lungs.
the power of breathing; life.
composers
Timo Andres | Clarice Assad | Kinan Azmeh | Juhi Bansal | Viet Cuong | Ellis Ludwig-Leone I Diane Monroe | Matthew Evan Taylor
co-performers
Ian Rosenbaum, percussion | Ariadne Greif, soprano
Just Breathe
An interactive community workshop
Breath is a thermostat of our emotional states, both reflecting and impacting it in a constant feedback loop. Catherine has developed a series of interactive workshop-performances, called Just Breathe, that explore the essential way in which breath, life, music and emotion are intertwined, in particular for the community of people whose lives have been impacted by cancer. Each Just Breathe workshop-performance correlates specially curated works for solo flute with particular aspects of breath. These musical interactions provide patients and caregivers a creative outlet to express their experiences, and facilitate storytelling of their personal journeys. Participants utilize techniques of mindfulness and breath work, and are encouraged to respond directly to the music by having a pen/pencil, paper, or any other art media on hand if possible! Through discussion, response, reflection, and exercises, participants join together in mutual discovery.
While originally planned as in-person sessions, the limitations imposed by COVID-19 has meant that Catherine conducts her Just Breathe initiative on Zoom, enabling her to reach even more people in their own environments, be that hospital, hospice or home. The works newly commissioned as part of Just Breath will in turn be incorporated into the Just Breathe workshop initiative.
breathe [
brēT͟H]
verb
take air into the lungs and then expel it, especially as a regular physiological process.
Catherine leads a Just Breathe performance workshop over Zoom.
“After such a tense, frustrating day yesterday, having the “Just Breathe” workshop was exactly what I needed. I was able to focus on my breath through music and “get out of myself” and conjure images from the art of the flute.”
“When you’re recovering from cancer surgery or having treatments, always under the surface are doubts, questions and fears, no matter how you distract yourself. After hearing Catherine’s broadcast on Breath, I felt as though I could perceive more choices. The beautiful, humane music that she played helped me think outside the box — it’s like a subliminal language — and her suggestions about everyday improvisation encouraged me to explore new thought patterns. I believe these broadcasts can be quite valuable to a person who’s finding their way through a medical crisis.”
“ ‘Just Breathe’ brought such relief while dealing with the death of my mother from cancer.”
“Listening to her play and then inviting our short comments is so relaxing and beneficial. Her focus on the breath is such a help during all aspects of our lives, and being able to come back to her performances in our mind is also very helpful.”
““I enjoy the class with the playing of the flute and breathing very much””
“Inhale.
Exhale.
Against my stammering heart.
Inhale.
Exhale.
The only thing I could control in that moment.
“Just Breathe!” I told myself. “…just breathe…”.
Cancer is a deeply uncomfortable topic. Yet it ensnares all of our lives in some tangible way. A parent. A sibling. A colleague. A friend. People have many stories to tell. Of shared experience and self-reflection. Of courage and inspiration. Of grief and resilience. Of hope.
As a breast cancer survivor, I am proud to draw on my experience as I connect with members of the cancer community through an interactive performance initiative I have called Just Breathe. Part storytelling, part creative expression, part exploration of the human spirit, Just Breathe entwines different cancer experiences through music and breath. ‘Just Breathe’ aims to stimulate the creative expression of participants and via musical elements, ground their focus on the essential life-affirming currency of their own breath.
The title ‘Just Breath(e)’ has tragically also acquired new depths of meaning in light of two contemporaneous strains of events: the protest against numerous violent deaths of people of color, captured by the words “I can’t breathe,” and the hundreds of thousands of lonely deaths from the pandemic of COVID-19, a disease that above all attacks the lungs.”
About Catherine
Recognized for her commitment to connecting communities through music, Catherine is the recipient of the Pro Musicis Father Merlet award for Community Service. Just Breath(e) began on the back of being awarded this distinction, along with the Pro Musicis International Award. Catherine currently offers her Just Breathe interactive performances as a programmed event for Gilda’s Club, NYC in support of their mission to educate, and empower cancer patients and their families. To learn more about how you can bring Just Breathe performances to a healthcare setting or a specially curated performance for a loved one, contact Catherine here, or offer support here.
Graphics and logos designed by Daniela Stubbs