Pale Blue Dot was composed while an Artist in Residence at the University of Pittburgh's Department of Astrophysics and Cosmology. While in residence I collaborated with Stellar Astrophysicist Dr. Carles Badenes and shakuhachi player and composer Elizabeth Brown. The resulting composition was Pale Blue Dot.
When a star reaches the end of its life cycle, after it has burned through all of its fuel, the core of a star collapses into a neutron star, and all but the newly formed Neutron Star is blown away at speeds in excess of 50 million km/h, and lighter elements are fused into heavier ones. This massive release of energy is a supernovae. To use Dr. Badenes’ words, “ The iron in our blood and the calcium in our bones were formed billions of years ago in supernovae that exploded before the Solar System was formed. This massive recycling scheme powered by supernovae seeds the birthplaces of stars with the raw materials that are necessary for life.” In effect, we are all cosmic stardust.
When searching for an instrument to feature in the composition, the shakuhachi felt like an ideal voice for this composition for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, I thought about the 1977 Voyager Space Craft, a time capsule with two phonograph records portraying the diversity of culture, sounds of earth, and music of earth. One composition featured on the Voyager Record is a recording of the solo shakuhachi piece “Sokaku Reibo,” literally translated as the Nesting of a Crane.
My composition Pale Blue Dot explores the idea “we are all cosmic stardust” through shakuhachi solo and fixed media. The shakuhachi represents the Voyager Spacecraft traveling through the cosmos. The electronic sounds you hear are from pre-recorded samples of that have been processed and time stretched beyond recognition.
Pale Blue Dot is 7 and a half minutes long.
Score and fixed media track will be emailed to you upon completion of purchase.
Includes unlimited streaming of
Devon Osamu Tipp: Pale Blue Dot (in Honor of Mr. Sagan)
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Tokyo Shift Response (2019/2020) for quintet
$80 USD
31 Ways of Looking at a Vending Machine for sextet (2020-2022)
$100 USD
Blood on the Pavement 1984 (2017/2018) for piano, clarinet (db bass clarinet), violin, viola, cello
$60 USD
Cheat Sadness/Enjoy Suffering (2019/2020) for septet
$75 USD
Braids (2019-2022) for shakuhachi and piri
$20 USD
When I Think of the Crab Fields 蟹原楽を考えたら(2020) for gagaku ensemble, singer, and dancers
$150 USD
a murder of cranes - a siege of crows (2022-2023) - for two kingma flutes and fixed media
$40 USD
five woodblock print cats (2020) for ryūteki, shakuhachi, and shō
$20 USD
Hyakkiyagyo 百鬼夜行 (2020) for solo bass
$20 USD
Kintsugi (2017-2020) for two shakuhachi
$20 USD
Hymn (2020) for shakuhachi and fixed media, or mezzo soprano and fixed media
$15 USD
the echo over the voice (2019/2020) for two bassoons
$15 USD
Breadcrumbs (2019) for prepared piano
$10 USD
Wild Human (2018) for solo shakuhachi
$20 USD
Nameless Sands (2018) for ichigenkin
$5 USD
Solo (2017/2018) for cello and bass
$15 USD
Kezuroukai 削ろう会 (2017) for solo shō 笙
$10 USD
Splintered Ringing (2017) for two shakuhachi
$15 USD
Fünf Träumen (2016/17) for solo prepared koto
$10 USD
Self Portrait (2016) for shakuhachi, piano, prepared string trio (viola, cello, and bass)
$50 USD
Murmurs (2016) for clarinet and trombone
$15 USD
Ozymandias (2016) for accordion and shō
$12 USD
Entropic Orbit (2016) for bassoon and accordion, or clarinet and accordion
$12 USD
Augury (2015) for solo woodwind and fixed media
$12 USD
Krev-Sanglots (2015) - chamber concerto for bass clarinet, piano, cello, bass, and three percussionists
$30 USD
Deconstructed (2015) for wooden quintet
$20 USD
Sisyphus (2015) for quartertone accordion and organ
$10 USD
Recalling (2015) for clarinet, cello, and bass
$15 USD
andante sostenuto (2014) for 11 performers
$30 USD
Red Chant/Grey Note Quarrel (2013) for solo bassoon
$5 USD
Mutations (2014) for guitar trio
$15 USD
evening triptych (2013) after francis bacon - flute, oboe, and clarinet
$10 USD
Pleiades is a Pinball Machine (2013) for quartertone marimba and quartertone vibraphone
$10 USD
Lithium Daphnae (2013) for heckelphon, viola, and piano
$15 USD
Dialogue for Three Bastards (2013) for Bb clarinet, oboe, and tenor sax
$10 USD
Fukushima Tetraptych (2012) for two harps
$10 USD
three pieces for quartertone accordion (2012, rev. 2015)
$10 USD
Chaos Theory (2012) - duo for two marimbas in quartertones
$10 USD
Burlesque (2012) for Bb clarinet and piano - 4min
$10 USD
devon osamu tipp Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Bandcamp page of Composer & Performer Devon Osamu Tipp.
Painting inspired noise compositions,
and new works for the shakuhachi.
linktr.ee/devonosamutipp?
... more
