This concept of individuation is something that was quite intriguing to me before composing this work. For so long in my life, I have been clueless about who I am at my deepest core. This lack of identity/awareness with myself has led to tremendous amounts of insecurity, anxiety, and turmoil. In several instances I began to care less about being alive, with one of my worst moments being when I walked into the middle of the woods with a knife in my pocket, intending to hurt myself with it. Discovering and studying this concept, even if only on the surface level, has allowed me to learn more about who I am, and inspire me to continue learning and growing as a human. It is my hope with this piece that it encourages the audience to do the same.
The Jungian model of the psyche (pictured right) is a visual representation of individuation. Jung believed that the psyche is a self-regulating system, rather like the body, one that seeks to maintain a balance between opposing qualities while constantly striving for growth. Simply put, his model is broken into different components, separated by the conscious and the unconscious. In this symphony I have chosen to focus on persona, ego, shadow, anima, and self, and in fact, this is what structures the five movements of the piece. In this way, the symphony starts with the conscious and works its way over time deeper within itself towards the unconscious, until finally re- emerging as a fully individuated “self.”
This is a personal piece. It would be impossible to generalize a model which could apply to each person. My hope is that even though this symphony is representative of me and my qualities, others can reflect aspects of themself onto mine and be inspired to learn more about their own self, through whatever struggle they are facing.
There is no “end” to discovering one’s self. I am by no means aware of every nook and cranny of my soul, even after composing this symphony. It is the constant process of renewing and revitalizing yourself that is beautifully clarifying, and virtuous.
Copyright © 2024
This concept of individuation is something that was quite intriguing to me before composing this work. For so long in my life, I have been clueless about who I am at my deepest core. This lack of identity/awareness with myself has led to tremendous amounts of insecurity, anxiety, and turmoil. In several instances I began to care less about being alive, with one of my worst moments being when I walked into the middle of the woods with a knife in my pocket, intending to hurt myself with it. Discovering and studying this concept, even if only on the surface level, has allowed me to learn more about who I am, and inspire me to continue learning and growing as a human. It is my hope with this piece that it encourages the audience to do the same.
The Jungian model of the psyche (pictured right) is a visual representation of individuation. Jung believed that the psyche is a self-regulating system, rather like the body, one that seeks to maintain a balance between opposing qualities while constantly striving for growth. Simply put, his model is broken into different components, separated by the conscious and the unconscious. In this symphony I have chosen to focus on persona, ego, shadow, anima, and self, and in fact, this is what structures the five movements of the piece. In this way, the symphony starts with the conscious and works its way over time deeper within itself towards the unconscious, until finally re- emerging as a fully individuated “self.”
This is a personal piece. It would be impossible to generalize a model which could apply to each person. My hope is that even though this symphony is representative of me and my qualities, others can reflect aspects of themself onto mine and be inspired to learn more about their own self, through whatever struggle they are facing.
There is no “end” to discovering one’s self. I am by no means aware of every nook and cranny of my soul, even after composing this symphony. It is the constant process of renewing and revitalizing yourself that is beautifully clarifying, and virtuous.
Copyright © 2024
