Title: Idrilia: Warrior of the Desert

Artist: John Willard Utuk

Fitness Principles: Motivation, Grit, Energy, Intentional, Journey

Description: The Etherea Suite is a collection of three movements inspired by distinct characters hailing from different homelands. I had the honor of being a beta reader of the Trials of the Innermost, sci-fi, fantasy story released in May 2023, written by my college friend & author Kristina Kelly and her writing partner Jonathan Fuller. The early version of the book captured my imagination, and after reading I thought, "Wouldn't it be cool if each character had their own theme [song]?!" Just like my childhood days of playing Ninentdo games like Street Fighter II Turbo where each character's country had its own distinct background music, listening to Disney soundtrack music, to movies from the Harry Potter series capturing “Hedwig’s Theme” or the famous Star Wars themes, I knew it would be a cool idea to let my friend’s book characters have their own as well. Along with this piano solo representing the characters in the novel, I intended for this piece and the others in the suite to be teaching pieces for piano students to learn and play, to supplement their classical repertoire. There are some techniques and pedagogical concepts that music/piano teachers can incorporate into their lessons and teaching this music. Not only will students enjoy having something contemporary to study as they learn piano, but can develop the character skills of grit, motivation, intention, and energy to play this piece successfully and have fun!

Kristina and Jonathan gave me adjectives to describe each character's personality, and I used their words as the basis for the mood of each movement. Each opening melody is made from the individual letters of the character's name, resulting in a composing technique using a musical cryptogram. I used the French system, where the first seven musical notes (A-G) are laid out, and the following letters in the English alphabet H-N are aligned underneath, and so on. This composing technique of coded messages within music has been used by composers throughout history, like J.S. Bach (The Art of the Fugue BWV 1080), Dimitri Shostakovich (String Quartet No. 8 in C minor), and Robert Schumann (Carnaval, Op. 9) among others. I wanted each movement to reflect the essence, personality, and traits of each character. The influences that shaped my musical storytelling come from my love for fantasy fiction, movies, Nintendo, and RPG video games.

“Idrilia: Warrior of the Desert” is a piano solo that is energetic, intense, and driving. Idrilia was described as confident, strong, fierce, and opinionated. Musical influences in this movement include a subtle reference to the mid-90’s female-led TV series Xena: Warrior Princess, and the opening syncopated rhythms are inspired by the boss battle theme from Super Mario Bros. 2. The outer A themes have a quick-footed feel. The letters of her name I-d-r-i-l-i-a is spelled out in the first opening melody in the right hand, with melodic and rhythmic variations repeating. The contrasting section provides relief from the fast pace, like a Celtic or Nordic ballad, a bittersweet tune that's heard floating above the desert sands. Returning back to the A theme, the music gradually builds faster and louder to end with triumphant chords, as if a celebration to an end to the arduous journey.

21 Fitness Principles Description: The piece I wrote, “Idrilia: Warrior of the Desert” incorporates the fitness principles of Motivation, Grit, Energy, [being] Intentional, and Journey. The theme itself is very fast paced, matching the restless energy of the fictional character the piece is after. Idrilia is a warrior after all, not one to sit still, and she wants to be prepared to always have a plan during her quest. She’s also motivated by her duties, to go after what she believes is the right thing to do, as well as her intrinsic motivation to stand in her own truth, independence, and self-trust, regardless of what society or those close around her (who she knows want the best for her) want her to do. The main theme has a driving left hand rhythmic pattern, suggesting grit and continued perseverance. The piece doesn’t slow down as much until the middle section, and only then the mood changes, representing the softer side of Idrilia’s personality, but soon returns back to the main theme of forward motion. Intention is a feeling I hope listeners get from this work. It starts with syncopated chords, and a groove, preparing the audience that something is about to happen and it’s going to be a fun ride. Just as she’s motivated by her personal beliefs in the story, her intentions are made clear by her actions, how she presents herself, and how she shows up in the world and to the other characters she interacts with. Finally, Idrilia’s theme is the final movement of a three movement work, the first two movements representing other characters in her traveling group. They are all chosen to take on a “quest,” which is another word for “journey.” Not only do they have to work together to accomplish a task (save the land of Etherea from “a great Calamity”), but Idrilia as a character has her own inner journey to overcome, as she wants to remain true to her own identity and not have any shame about it. Just as the path to greater fitness leads to transformation, Idrilia has to transform her thoughts and push past mental blocks so she can become more confident and self-assured.