Shades

composerbiography: DaijanaWallace

My name is Daijana Wallace (day-on-a, like “spending a day on a beach”) and I’m a composer. My writing is inspired by my own thoughts and feelings, getting to write for friends and colleagues, or a combination of the two. I like to think of some of my compositions as a journal—with “entries” ranging from playful thoughts about my upstairs neighbor to thoughts on grief concerning the death of my father—allowing the audience to step into my shoes for a period of time. An aspect of the compositional process that I thoroughly enjoy (and feel gives that extra umph, nuance, personality, or pizzazz to my music) is getting the opportunity to work with and receive feedback from performers. A performer’s expertise, knowledge, and presence is a way my work can live, breathe, and have the ability to tell stories. I’ve always valued the idea of community and even though composition can be thought of as a solitary activity (and I treat it as such sometimes), working with and learning from musicians satisfies that need to be a part of something bigger than myself.

I’m almost done getting my masters in music composition at Michigan State University under Dr. David Biedenbender. After my time in Michigan I look forward to settling back into and being based in Wichita, KS.