Andy Akiho (1979-Present)

Introduction
Andy Akiho is a composer born in Columbia, South Carolina. He studied at University of South Carolina, Manhattan School of Music, and Yale School of Music. He majored in music performance and then went on to study performance and composition fro his master's. He now is based in NYC and is working on his doctorate. His style has been described as "mold-breaking," "alert and alive," "dramatic," and "vital" by The New York Times.

Work Analysis
The piece of Akiho's that I wanted to focus on is "NO one To kNOW one". Akiho's music focuses on his primary instrument, the steel pan. This piece is a very interesting piece that sounds extremely contemporary with very modern pop sounding vocals, but the background is an interesting blend of instrumentation and a very dark harmonic undertone to it. This piece sounds like it could fit into films like a nightmare before Christmas very well. It is an epic creation that definitely has a specific point of view. The steel pan is not an instrument that we usually associate with this type of music, but the steel pan adds in a very specific timbre that gives the piece just a little more dramatic edge. The timbres of the violins, the percussion and the off-putting steel pan combine in a way that give that creepy edge that lullaby tunes use in certain horror films. The vocal techniques used by the soprano are also interesting too, she is not using that classical style of singing that we are used to in older forms of music, she sounds like she could be the lead singer of a rock band somewhere.

Comparisons
I would compare this piece to DJ Sparr's music where the modernity of one certain aspect of the music allows for the music to fully become more modern sounding altogether. In this piece, it is the modern instrumentation and vocal style, and in Sparr's it is the electric guitar. The legacy of this specific piece is the notion that not all composed music has to sound like it is of the past, it can have a modern sound and can cater to a more modern audience in the process.

Observations
I really enjoyed this piece, the modern pop-rock influence in the sound even allows for this song to sound like it is coming from a dramatic rock musical like Heathers or Carrie. This specific piece allowed for me to understand that there is nothing wrong with composing more modern sounding pieces, unlike how a lot of classes teach today.