This piece was commissioned by the Simcoe Contemporary Dancers as part of a collaborative project in 2013. When they approached me with the idea, I jumped at the opportunity — I’m always down to work with other artists.
But this project was unlike anything I’d ever done before. The choreography already existed, and I was asked to write the music to the dance — not the other way around. At first, that felt completely backwards. I remember saying to my partner, “Obviously the music comes first — that’s what makes people dance.” She laughed and explained that, in fact, it’s quite common for the dance to be choreographed before the music is composed. (She has an honours degree in dance, so she knows what she’s talking about.)
So I sat with the video they sent me. Watched it over and over — at least a thousand times. I can confidently say that this piece of music is made to exactly replicate the dancers’ movements from my perspective. From the detuned toy piano to the cellos, both strummed and bowed, every note you hear, every sound, is mapped directly to the dance.
And here’s the fun part: I’m a coffee drinker, but for the longest time I thought the title of the piece was Capuchin, like the monkey. Turns out, it’s Cappuccino. Which honestly makes a lot more sense. Otherwise, those are some pretty chill monkeys.