Abstract
“Walking Towards the Sun," for string quartet, is a collection of musical meditations on my experiences hiking the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia. The scale, structure, and musical language of the composition are related to the Trail. Lasting almost eight hours, the piece is massive and idealistic. It is comprised of 80 movements that give unique interpretations to places and experiences from my hike. The movements are organized to trace my journey southward from Maine to Georgia. The musical material utilizes both abstract and symbolic expressions to reflect my experiences on the Trail. The sound of the composition transports the listener by suggesting emotional states reflective of my experience on the Trail.
