Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Composer and performer Molly Joyce has been deemed one of the “most versatile, prolific and intriguing composers working under the vast new-music dome” by The Washington Post. Her music has also been described as “serene power” by the New York Times, and “unwavering… enveloping” by Vulture. Her compositions use disability as a source of inspiration in the creative process. She has an impaired left hand from a car accident, and seeks to explore disability through composition, performance, collaboration, community engagement, and other mediums.
All or Nothing emphasizes the dichotomy between consistencies and inconsistencies, black and white, and the perceived binary, using powerful and isolated attacks in contrast to sustained and superimposed notes. Through this piece, the composer asks whether the concept of having “all” or “nothing” is desirable.
In response to this question, Joyce states: “The inquiry stems from recent research into social uniformity and particularly through the social model of disability, which states that people are disabled by barriers in society rather than by impairment or difference. Therefore, by asking if all or nothing is desired, I hope to illuminate overriding challenges in such a polarizing categorization, as well as utilize the singular body of the symphonic band, an optimal instrumentation to execute such differences.”
Composer and performer Molly Joyce has been deemed one of the “most versatile, prolific and intriguing composers working under the vast new-music dome” by The Washington Post. Her music has also been described as “serene power” by the New York Times, and “unwavering… enveloping” by Vulture. Her compositions use disability as a source of inspiration in the creative process. She has an impaired left hand from a car accident, and seeks to explore disability through composition, performance, collaboration, community engagement, and other mediums.
All or Nothing emphasizes the dichotomy between consistencies and inconsistencies, black and white, and the perceived binary, using powerful and isolated attacks in contrast to sustained and superimposed notes. Through this piece, the composer asks whether the concept of having “all” or “nothing” is desirable.
In response to this question, Joyce states: “The inquiry stems from recent research into social uniformity and particularly through the social model of disability, which states that people are disabled by barriers in society rather than by impairment or difference. Therefore, by asking if all or nothing is desired, I hope to illuminate overriding challenges in such a polarizing categorization, as well as utilize the singular body of the symphonic band, an optimal instrumentation to execute such differences.”
