As a child, I only listened to classical music, but when I was around 13 years old I discovered System of a Down and had a life changing moment. I realized I loved their music and was especially drawn to the voice of Serj Tankian, their lead singer. Since then I have followed the band and continue to be a fan.
In 2018 I found out that Serj Tankian was hosting a composition competition and I was eager to create a work to submit.The competition was called the 7 Notes Experiment and all entries were required to begin with the 7 notes chosen by Serj. I wanted to write a piece for an unconventional ensemble and the 7 notes “leitmotif” led me to write for 7 cellos and percussion. I titled the piece, “Sweet and Spicy”, combining the sensual and rich sounds of the cello with a rhythmic pattern typical of both Asian and Colombian styles.
The piece was selected as one of the top 100 entries out of more than 2,000 submissions.
Listen to it here…
andresmonteromusic.com 