DISTRICT FRAY MAGAZINE: Musicians Mid-Pandemic: Vol. 2
DISTRICT FRAY MAGAZINE: Musicians Mid-Pandemic: Vol. 2
BY M.K. KOSZYCKI
“Molly Joyce Portrays the Personal
Inspiration for music can come from anything, anyone and anywhere. For composer, performer and Halcyon Arts Lab fellow, her work centers around disability – specifically, her own.
‘I have an impaired left hand from a car accident about 20 years ago. It really took about 20 years to identify as disabled and embrace it within my personal life and of course, artistically, to view it as a creative source. I do this through exploring the process of acquiring a disability, asking what happens when certain physical sensation and movement leaves your body, collaborations with other disabled artists and scholars, and doing research around that.’
Joyce’s explorations of disability have taken her to many academic settings, composing for other artists or commissioned works, including as part of the Halcyon Arts Lab. Originally from Pittsburgh but a frequent traveler through the nature of her work, Molly landed in D.C. to work with Halcyon in September.
‘Halcyon seemed very unique to me in that it fosters art and social impact. There are so many artists working in that realm. But sometimes residences are a little more broad, and I was really interested to learn among collegial artists working with more personal issues. We’re always interrogating our personal experiences. I’ve been really fortunate.’
Joyce originally began her work pre-Covid as part of Halcyon’s By The People Festival. Though such festivals will no longer meet in person, Joyce has found ways to share initial iterations of her project, such as a preliminary presentation at the Americans for the Arts Conference. She hopes to continue this project through some demonstrative videos and audiovisual content that allows participants to interact with her work, too.
‘I interviewed disabled participants in D.C. and worldwide on what access to care and control means to them. It was all conceived, and most of the interviews were done, before Covid hit. It’s even more relevant, or for me at least just more interesting, to think about now.’
Though she’s composed works for many artists and institutions, including an EP that featured violinists performing her work, Joyce also released her first full-length album this year. June’s “Breaking and Entering” saw Joyce putting together what she calls a fuller album.
‘[The album] was written in around eight countries, over 12 different residencies,’ Joyce says. ‘I don’t think that changes the sound too much, but I do think traveling allowed me to capture that intimate and self-recorded quality. I wasn’t super analytical with it, like I normally am with my compositions. I wanted to let something come out that was totally natural, fueled by my disability and disability studies.’
Though it’s times like these we need music in a bigger way, especially thought-provoking, socially impactful music like Joyce’s, it’s still a difficult time as an artist to put your life and work out into the world. But Joyce keeps her introspective processes true here, and looks to the near permanent nature of music.
‘I feel like there’s never the right time. Sometimes I come upon albums written even 20 years ago, and realize it’s not all about that one release. It’s important to get it out in general, and to have people be able to discover it,’ she concludes.”