Stories.

"Stories." is an examination of the identity of the improviser as a storyteller, using sound and space in place of the novelist's pen and paper. In my studies at West Chester University, I have researched correlations between linguistics and musicology and have arrived at this conception of improvisation, which has helped me define my sound and style. One of the greatest points of interest for me is how the two modes of storytelling are preserved - fundamentally, sound cannot be preserved with the same accuracy and weight as written story. We as improvisers carve our stories into physical space in a way recording will never truly capture. This distinction made the passings of many of my musical idols - Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, and Ahmad Jamal among them - during this period of study all the more impactful. Each selection tells a story from my life so far as a young woman, and pays tribute to a person, group, or idea that has helped to shape the story of Maeve Sullivan as it has been told up to this point. The lamp represents the light of creativity - from the moment we are born, we engage in the act of creation - for which we are each a lens filtering this light we all bear into our own shapes and colors.

The performance serves as a culmination of my studies as an undergraduate student. Some of the works presented will be used in an upcoming debut album.