Blue Hour for string orchestra by Jessica Meyer

Whenever I can during the non-summer months, I drive out to Montauk, Long Island to rent a cottage on the ocean. My love for this town started in 2016 when I became a regular each summer as violist and resident composer at Music for Montauk concerts. Over the pandemic, I needed a place to escape to and work other than my apartment in the Bronx and this road trip has become a regular occurrence whenever I can work it into my schedule. I now look at my catalog and see almost all of my pieces since 2021 have either been brainstormed, written, or edited there.

I have also developed a new hobby: you can see me trotting across Old Montauk Highway in whatever I can grab to keep me warm after I roll out of bed every morning just so I can take pictures on the beach. My favorite moments are right before the sun rises during the blue hour, especially when a deep reddish orange starts to form on the horizon. In the winter light with the right amount of clouds hanging around, you could see some of the most amazing sunrises and displays of color. I will watch the sunrise and sunset in MTK any chance I can get.

This piece is particularly about the period of time during the pre-dawn hours while waiting for the sunrise. I am so full of gratitude when I get to witness it and I have chosen soaring melodies and visceral rhythms to help express that. Most of all, I wanted this piece to be fun - because life should be fun and feel good.

Many thanks to Shane Peters at the Ridgefield Public Schools in CT for this opportunity to tell this musical story about my favorite place.

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