“Qanik” is an inuktitut word, roughly translating to “snow falling',' or “snow gently falling”. Inuktitut is the language of the Inuit, an indigenous people that have lived for centuries in what is now known as Alaska, Greenland, and most importantly, Canada’s vast and beautiful arctic region. The Inuit (and other indigenous groups) used varying musical scales, one of which was the four note scale. The entirety of this piece is constructed using a four note scale. I used a shifting and undulating pattern of these four notes to replicate the feeling of standing in the middle of a gentle Canadian snowfall. Anyone who’s had the pleasure will instantly know what I mean - the fat, slow flakes of snow swirling and dancing transport you to a kaleidoscope of chilly peace.
