I don't think I would've ever written for viola, voice, and piano if David Samuel hadn't commissioned this. He's been part of it since the research stage. Sept 11 at Vanderbilt 🎻🎤🎹
#TheGhostsOfChinatown #Vanderbilt #BlairSchoolOfMusic #NewMusicCommission #Collaboration #FilmComposer #ContemporaryClassical
Post 3/5 of the 'Ghosts of Chinatown' promo series, built from Daix's real interview about the Sept 11 Vanderbilt premiere (collaborators: David Samuel, playwright Dennis Yueh-Yeh Li, novelist Lisa See). All quotes are verbatim from the interview she provided.
Concept
A collaboration-spotlight Reel — crediting David Samuel and the Vanderbilt/Blair musicians, showing the unusual instrumentation (viola, voice, piano) and why it fits this specific piece.
Script (beats)
Beat 1 (hook): 'I don't think I would have ever written for this ensemble if one person hadn't asked.'
Beat 2 (voiceover, real quote): 'Working with David has been a blast — I don't think I would ever have written for this specific ensemble (viola, voice, and piano) had he not commissioned me to do so.'
Beat 3: 'Could the story have been told with a different combination of instruments? Sure. But David has been part of it from the research stage all the way through realizing the music on paper.'
Beat 4 (closer): 'In the end, it's perfectly tailored for this ensemble — I can't imagine it written for anything else.'
On-screen text overlay: 'The Ghosts of Chinatown — Sept 11, Vanderbilt University 🎟️ link in bio'
Filming
- Split-screen or intercut: score pages showing the viola/voice/piano writing + rehearsal footage of the actual musicians, if available.
CTA
Tag a collaborator who shaped a piece of yours in a way you didn't expect.