The acousmatic piece Push & Pull draws its inspiration from two different wells. The first one has been dug into the world of trains. Musicalized trains are moving back and forth between states of propulsion (“push”) and standstill (“pull”). The second source of inspiration comes from the lyrics to a song that inhabited by teenage years (Kid Gloves by Rush). The song is about this inevitable pitching between push and pull that we all go through at one time or another in our lives, and that we have to learn to control, sometime with great difficulty.

— Martin Bédard [English translation: François Couture, i-13]

Push & Pull was realized in 2010 at the composer’s studio and premiered on October 28, 2010 as part of the festival Akousma (7), at the Studio Hydro-Québec of the Monument-National (Montréal, Québec). Push & Pull was commissioned by Réseaux des arts médiatiques. Thanks to Nicolas Bernier and the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA). Push & Pull was awarded the 2nd prize ex æquo at the 9th Musicacoustica-Beijing competition (China, 2012).

Composition

• 2010, Personal studio, Montréal (Québec)

Premiere

• October 28, 2010, 20 Years of empreintes DIGITALes, Akousma (7): Acousmatique, Studio Hydro-Québec — Monument-National, Montréal (Québec)

Awards

• 2nd prize ex æquo, Group A2: Electroacoustic (fixed medium), Musicacoustica-Beijing Competition of Electronic Music Composition 2012, Beijing (China)