Last week I returned to the Adaskin Salon at the Canadian Music Centre BC Region to record the antepenultimate installation the Redshift/CMC video series, Unaccompanied — fifty videos that explore the solo work of Canadian composers and music makers. Over the last two years the Unaccompanied series has helped keep many musicians financially afloat and creatively engaged, while providing a valuable online resource of Canadian music and sound art.

Wandering Somewhere for solo bass flute was composed by Maria Eduarda Mendes Martins for a concert presented by Open Space in Victoria BC in 2015. This is a piece that explores some of the softest, most delicate effects on the bass flute; over the course of eight minutes it slowly reveals a nuanced landscape comprised of whistle tones, airy noise, and the gentlest of key taps — which presents challenges when you’re recording in a studio on Davie Street in downtown Vancouver! Maria was the 2021 composer recipient of the Friends of Canadian Music Award, so it was extra special to be able to revisit this piece and record it for the Unaccompanied series. Thanks to Jordan Nobles, who masterfully handled all the video and audio; it was amazing to see how his set-up has evolved since we first recorded Jennifer Butler’s Four Directions nearly two years ago!