This is composer John Adams , talking about his piece The Dharma at Big Sur , which was written for the opening of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles in 2003.
Here's what Adams has to say about the piece on his website:
I wanted to express the moment, the so-called "shock of recognition", when one reaches the edge of the continental land mass. On the Atlantic coast, the air seems to announce it with its salty taste and briney scents. Coming upon the California coast is a different experience altogether. Rather than gently yielding ground to the water the Western shelf drops off violently, often from dizzying heights, as it does at Big Sur, the stretch of coastal precipice midway between Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara. Here the current pounds and smashes the littoral in a slow, lazy rhythm of terrifying power. For a newcomer the first exposure produces a visceral effect of great emotional complexity.
I love that description of Big Sur and the comparison to the East coast, where I'm from. The concert footage in this video features musician Tracy Silverman playing a six-string electric violin.
So if you're driving this holiday, travel safe and play some good music along the way.
