earthworms, following heavy rain (2020)

for flowerpots and bowed vibraphone / written for Clara Warnaar at Wildflower Composers Festival 2020

In the moments after a summer rainstorm, when the ground is still waterlogged and the air still wet, millions of earthworms emerge from the earth. Their surfacing is not cowardly; worms breathe through their skin using moisture and therefore cannot drown. Instead, they dream of rain, seek it out. For once, the dampness of the surface is enough to let them breathe aboveground. The earthworms emerge, emancipated. This piece documents their migration.