Project #5: L u m i n a
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"Embracing the Now"
"Embracing the Now"
Nature has always held a mirror to human existence—quietly teaching us lessons through its rhythms, cycles, and ever-changing beauty. In this video, the motion of the camera moving forward through a forest while sunlight filters in and out through shifting leaves and branches becomes a powerful metaphor for life itself.
Just as different leaves and branches appear in our path—each with its own shape, texture, and movement—life, too, offers us an endless variety of experiences. Some moments are vibrant and full, others fleeting and subtle. The sun, occasionally peeping through the foliage, symbolizes the opportunities that arise unexpectedly—sometimes bright and direct, sometimes just a warm whisper. These moments, like chances in life, don’t always announce themselves loudly but shine through when we stay open and present.
The continuous forward motion of the video is life moving onward, whether we are ready or not. It reminds us that we can't hold on to any moment for too long, just as we can’t linger in one patch of sunlight. Good or bad, joyful or difficult—every experience is part of the journey.
This video encourages us to stay grounded in the present. Let us not wait for the perfect moment, but instead embrace every single one as part of our growth. Whether the path is shaded or sunlit, each step is valuable. With a positive mindset, we can receive life as it unfolds, accepting all that it brings and learning to find meaning in both the calm and the chaos.
So breathe in, stay with the now, and walk through your life as you would this forest—aware, grateful, and open to whatever comes next.
So breathe in, stay with the now, and walk through your life as you would this forest—aware, grateful, and open to whatever comes next.
Artist's Statement
Artist's Statement
In our fast-paced, hi-tech world, we seem to be moving forward at the speed of light—yet, ironically, this very momentum is pulling us away from our roots: nature. Despite all our advancements, nature remains fundamental to our existence. A single natural calamity still has the power to paralyze an entire megacity, reminding us how deeply dependent we are on the natural world even today.
Personally, I make a conscious effort to stay close to nature, as it’s where I find my peace. Lumina is my humble tribute to that connection. I wanted this project to reflect my reverence for nature and the lessons it quietly imparts. I chose to begin and end the piece with the natural cacophony of birdsong, originally recorded in the video, to anchor the soundscape in authenticity.
The piece is centered in E♭ major—a key that, to me, resonates with a profound yet lighter emotional quality, suitable for portraying both warmth and reflection. The time signature is set in 4/4 to maintain a sense of natural pulse—something we instinctively connect with, even without consciously noticing.
The piece opens with a pedal note on vibraphone, symbolizing the gradual emergence of leaves into the frame, which has been used extensive manner throughout the piece. As the camera moves through a dynamic forest, the unpredictable shapes of leaves and branches represent the organic imperfections of nature. To mirror this unpredictability in my composition process, I rolled seven dice. The resulting numbers were interpreted as degrees of the E♭ major scale, used in ascending motion—from smaller to larger intervals. These intervals remained fixed throughout the phrase, which created melodic pathways that naturally shaped the harmony. The harmonic characters were deliberately kept diatonic and voiced close to the parent chord in order to avoid harmonic jumps, allowing the piece to flow gently and cohesively with the visuals.
Lush string textures were employed to evoke the richness and depth of the forest’s green hues. The recurring melodic motifs echo the repeated appearance of slow-moving leaves and branches, while timbral variation—using harp, classical guitar, cello, violins, and violas—represents the diverse shapes and textures of foliage.
Dynamics play a crucial role in this piece. Full-bodied polyphonic and homophonic textures represent denser areas of the forest, while sudden drops in dynamic contrast capture the quiet emptiness of sparser regions. These musical choices were made to follow the visual rhythm of the video as closely and honestly as possible.
In conclusion, I believe Lumina successfully bridges the soundscape with the visuals, offering a meditative experience that encourages us to pause, reflect, and reconnect with nature—something timeless, grounding, and essential.
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