Occasional Truths for Sax Quartet and Percussion Quartet, written by Logan Rutledge (b.1993) in 2018 and published in 2020, was commissioned by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Percussion Ensemble and the Nomad Sax Quartet. The inspiration for Occasional Truths came from a comment my friend, and fellow composer Josh said in passing. Josh said, “You always have to listen to Logan. Most of the time he’s just saying silly things, but there are these occasional truths.” This comment got me thinking about how I’m perceived. While I tend to look for levity in conversation and daily interaction, I don’t wish to be perceived as shallow or in desperate attention for a laugh, but as a person with depth. The form of the piece unfolds as the main theme is the feeling of being observed skin deep, juxtaposed with how I feel I would like to be seen, presented by little interludes, some of which never reappear. Eventually who I am takes a firm grasp and becomes the bulk of the middle of the piece, but the return of the dissonant feelings from the main theme comes back, and lingers until a climactic close leaves the audience unsure whether the end is a resolution or a continuation of the superficial appearance that we all struggle with. Occasional Truths is dedicated to Olivia Kieffer who led this commission, and who happens to be one of my closest friends, and a fabulous composer to boot.

For more information about Logan, including his other published works, visit his composer page.