New Song from American Crime by Mark Isham!

Available Now!

Get the new song "Touch" by show composer Mark Isham, featured in episode #205 of American Crime!

Watch American Crime WEDNESDAYS 10|9c!

Exclusive Commentary from composer Mark Isham on "Touch" -

Ballet music has always been intriguing to me, but I've never really composed for it before. The challenge here was to pick a compositional style that would stand definitively apart from the score style, but still have connective tissue to the story, and be real for what this is - a modern dance company coming to a prestigious school to give a performance of a contemporary work. Direction came from John Ridley and the choreographer - they discussed what the scene should accomplish, and Andy interpreted that in his choreography. The idea was to start with no motion, then motion into a crescendo and climax. It was about contact - to touch and not to touch. That word wasn't used, it came in afterward. I was trying to find a word that defined the piece and the emotion. The directive for the piece itself is connected to the rest of the show in that there was emotion, and then adrenalin, and then release of a conflicted nature. The idea was that touch is beautiful, touch is wonderful, but touch can also be a violation - and thus you have this contradiction. The dance, and the music itself doesn't take a particular stance on that struggle, but forces the audience to decide. I chose a general vocabulary - the percussive nature of the writing of Steve Reich, and tried to build on that in a slightly more modern and experimental way using bowed marimbas and melodic and dissonant percussive elements. It was thrilling to be a part of.

- Mark Isham (Composer, American Crime)