Flash Mob

for wind ensemble
commissioned by the Atlantic Coast Conference Band Directors Association

Flash Mob (2011) is inspired by the recent trend of large crowd performance art mobilized by social media. In a typical flash mob, participants organized through email, Facebook, or Twitter unsuspectingly converge on a public area and breakout into an unusual or entertaining activity. In 2006, nearly 4000 people silently danced in subway stations throughout London while wearing headphones connected to portable music devices. The first “international flash mob” on record took place in 2008 as thousands of participants in over 25 cities took part in the world’s largest pillow fight. The surreal experiences generated by flash mobs challenge the traditional boundaries between artist and audience and increase social media’s influence on art in the 21st century.