Week 13: Following the Sound — Music as an Unexpected Encounter
- 必达 康
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
As the project approaches its final stages, Week 13 became one of the most unexpected parts of the production process. This week focuses on my conversation with Michael Williams, a composer, academic, and Associate Professor in Music at the University of Waikato.
What makes this conversation especially interesting is how it began almost entirely by chance. At the time, I was on the fourth floor of I Block, looking for potential guests for the next episode of the podcast. While walking through the corridor, I suddenly heard a piece of music coming from somewhere nearby. It was immediately striking, and I found myself drawn towards the sound before I even knew where it was coming from.
Following the music through the hallway eventually led me to Michael’s office. Before entering, I was unsure whether the piece might have been a student work, and part of me worried that if it was unpublished, I might never be able to find it again. However, after I introduced myself and asked about the music, Michael told me that it was actually a recently released work that he had composed. That small moment of curiosity unexpectedly opened the door to a new conversation for Unseen Curtain.
Before the conversation, I did some background research about Michael. He is a well-known figure in New Zealand composition. His work moves across chamber music, orchestral writing, concerti, opera, and digital sound, and he has received commissions from major New Zealand musical institutions such as the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Opera, and Chamber Music New Zealand. Knowing this made the conversation feel even more important to the project, because his experience speaks directly to the relationship between composition, performance, technology, and the emotion that is conveyed by music.
The podcast episode with Michael focuses on composition, opera, live performance, digital sound, and the hidden labour behind artistic practice. His work offers an valuable perspective on how music can remain emotionally powerful and accessible while still carrying depth, complexity, and artistic integrity. This is especially relevant to my project’s wider concern with how classical performing arts continue to survive, adapt, and speak directly to audiences within today’s changing media environment.
This conversation also allows the project to return to one of its central questions: what remains unseen behind artistic expression? In the music industry, audiences often encounter only the final work, but behind that are enormous years of developing, decision-making, emotional intensity, and uncertainty. By speaking with Michael, I gained a better understanding that composition is not only a finished work but also a lived process shaped by listening, labor, and human experience.
Next week, the project will move into its final stage, bringing together the voices, sounds, and images that have shaped Unseen Curtain. Stay tuned for the final results to be published.
References:
Kang, B. (2026). Unseen Curtain — Episode 03: Conversations with Michael Williams [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/-HM0pRCETbA
Kang, B. (2026). Unseen Curtain — Episode 03: Conversations with Michael Williams [Audio podcast episode]. In Unseen Curtain Podcast. Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/episode/22gVq8bqDEXzS9Ht1cAQRU
Williams, M. (2026). Michael Williams About. University of Waikato. https://profiles.waikato.ac.nz/michael.williams
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