Stages of Grief

Author(s) Information

Victoria Belen Reyes, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis ObispoFollow

College - Author 1

College of Liberal Arts

Department - Author 1

Music Department

Degree Name - Author 1

BA in Music

Date

5-2025

Primary Advisor

Aaron Kline, College of Liberal Arts, Music Department

Abstract/Summary

In four movements, this suite recounts the stages of grief I have experienced because of my grandmother’s recent death using a flute, B-flat clarinet, violin, violoncello, and piano instrumentation. The first movement, called Tears, depicts the initial despair that occurred in my family and I as we sat with her at her bedside during her last breaths. The second movement, Reach, portrays the numbness and shock as the reality of her death sinks in to our minds despite the desire that it is all a dream. The third movement, Break, illustrates the frustration and anger that arises from different family members around me as they fall into unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with their grief. A short, tender interlude is placed in the middle of this chaos to represent a phone call I made to escape the situation for a brief time. The fourth movement, Yearn, introduces many different moods on top of an overarching, persistent sadness as we go through the funeral proceedings. The focus is to show how my family reacted in different ways despite us all experiencing similar amounts of grief. The total length is about 12 minutes.

Notes

The recordings available are MIDI only, so a few aspects of the audio will not be able to properly portray how the music would sound from a live performance, especially concerning instrumental extended techniques.

URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/musp/151