Kind of Kismet

Kind of Kismet was written while I was at Illinois State University pursuing my bachelors degree. While I was there I had remained in touch with a lot of my high school friends and wrote pieces for many of them.  This piece was written for my friend Carolyn Franz who premiered the piece at her senior recital.  Kind Of Kismet has enjoyed further performances by students of violin at grade 7 and grade 8 level of ABRSM.  In a broader sense the word kismet means something similar to fate or destiny.  In a more direct translation, kismet comes from the Arabic word kismat which means division, portion, or lot.  Kismet, as defined in the Islam, is the will of Allah. When I think of kismet I think of it as an individual’s portion in life; the purpose they fill for being alive. When I wrote this piece I was searching for my purpose.  The melody that begins in the violin and is then passed between the two instruments weaves its way through different keys and harmonies.  The harmonies, while very tonal in nature, never seem to have a predictable direction, and it is in this unsure roving that my search for purpose lay.

︎Kind of Kismet.pdf

Violin
Piano

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