(e)motion studies grew out my brief exploration of palindromic structures in 2022, fueled by a fascination with the palindromic nature of basic melodic and rhythmic patterns. Some of my palindromic pieces are fully reversable—they would sound the same if played from end to start—while others have reversable sections. 

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Power Play builds on an aggressive back-and-forth motion between two adjacent tones. It is a fully reversable palindrome with a masked midpoint midway through the contrasting middle section.

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Ups and Downs is a wistful lyrical piece that plays on the inherently palindromic nature of scales when the direction of the scale steps is reversed. Like Power Play, Ups and Downs is fully reversable.

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Parallel Motions is a study in parallel perfect fifths, opening with a bass riff vaguely reminiscent of heavy metal and gradually expanding into more rapid linear passages. This piece develops more organically because I later allowed myself to stray from strict palindromic reversal, resulting in a more dynamic and unpredictable unfolding.  

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It Takes Two is a miniature tango (tanguito) with dance “moves” that start cautiously, then gradually reach a state of energetic frenzy. It Takes Two also started as a palindrome; as in Parallel Motions, I allowed myself more freedom as I passed what would have been the midpoint of the piece.  

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In his book Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, Douglas Hofstadler defines palindrome with a palindrome: “SIDES REVERSED IS.”  My musical palindromes are less involved than the exceptional examples by Bach, Haydn, Bartok, Webern, and others, more on the order of “ANNA,” “RACECAR,” or “TACOCAT.” 

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