Paintings Inspired by Music

“All Without Words” is the musical journey of a parent raising a non-verbal child with autism.  The theme on which eleven trumpet jazz-concerto variations are based is built around the spontaneous singing of the composer’s son—it is the actual voice of the child, set as a melody and played by the trumpet, accompanied by an orchestra.  In each successive variation, composer Justin Morell uses fragments of the theme to reflect on life with his son, the struggles of learning how to connect with a child who has difficulty with the most basic aspects of communication, and the triumph of even the smallest successes. The idea behind the piece was born out of the desire to show the outside world the value and meaning of a person who seems so different.  Describing the composition of the piece, Morell says “this was an opportunity for me to connect with my son and hear his voice in a way I hadn’t before.”  This is a story of intense emotional pain, but also of joy and hope for a compassionate future where all people are loved and respected for their humanity.

In the spirit of collaboration, Justin Morrell invited artists with autism to create new work in response to the recording of All Without Words. J.A. Tan was one of 6 artists chosen to participate. 

You can catch a peek at J.A. at work at minute 00:38 in this video.

J.A. Tan created three paintings inspired by variations 2, 3, 5, and 6 of the composition.