Ethan Resnik: A Walk Down Gibbs - for Solo Piano

Performed in Kilbourn Hall, Eastman School of Music
Program Note:
Imagine the year is 1921. Your stroll down Gibbs Street begins at one corner. By the time you reach the other corner, something magical happens; nearly 100 years have passed. Along the sidewalk, the sounds of music changed, and so too, the accompanying sounds of the street. I came across a black and white photograph of the Eastman Theater taken on November 13, 1921; life here on Gibbs Street was surely different 99 years ago. The shell of the Eastman Theater was close to completion, changing the face of the street as it had been known. The building continues to stand prominently, witnessing decades of transition. The exposed beams in the photo made me think about how much more they would support than just the building; they held more potential than anyone may have realized while walking down Gibbs in 1921.