Physics of Light

Light is a fascinating subject all by itself. Light shines and then reflects back to our eyes. This is called “visible light,” which is all the colors our eyes can see. But my understanding of the physics of light is there are even other types of light that we can’t see, such as radio waves and sound waves as well. And did you know that bees are able to see ultraviolet light? As I said, light is a fascinating subject. Equally as interesting is the classic, symbiotic interplay between light and dark. . .one cannot exist without the other. The 16 piano tracks on Vicente’s new album, “Physics of Light,” which explore the properties of light in all their splendor, are reflective of this interplay and, as well, of his own experiences in life as seen through the eyes of the “physics of light.” A little about Vicente Avella: He is an award-winning recording artist hailing from Caracas, Venezuela. He’s an instructor at Berklee College of Music’s Online Extension and he is also an adjunct faculty at Antelope Valley College. He earned his bachelor's degree in piano performance from Indiana University and his master's degree in music composition at the Eastman School of Music. In addition, he has scored numerous independent films, orchestrated and worked on music production for several major network television shows, including Family Guy (FOX) and American Dad (FOX), and written music for the worldwide advertising arena which included organizations such as Intel, Aramco (Saudi Arabia), Red Bull Air Race World Championship (Brazil), and official branding for FPC Sports Channel (Colombia). The album opens with the very pretty piano piece, “Light Particles.” Not a terribly complex composition, it is beautiful, flowing, and melodic, and a wonderful opening for all that comes next. “Radiance,” which follows, is faster paced and truly scintillating. The song was released as a single from this album and received a Bronze Medal award at the Global Music Awards, as well as being nominated for an award from the InterContinental Music Awards. “Where Light and Shadow Meet” is very well done with great use of both upper and lower registers which perfectly serves to illustrate the eternal interchange between the two. Some favorites: “Ultraviolet,” another award-winning and award-nominated single from the album, is just gorgeous. We could, perhaps, say the wavelength of ultraviolet light is “glowing.” So is this composition. Quite enchanting all the way around. Slow and emotionally stirring, “Color Spectrum” is melodic and captivating. At 2:28, I only wish it were a bit longer. My understanding of claro light is that it is a type of LED light that has the power to heal in some regards. The piece here, “Claro,” is quite calming to the psyche and lovely. One can feel the healing seeping into their soul. If I have it right, the observer of a penumbra is experiencing a partial eclipse, as the “umbras” (umbra, penumbra, and antumbra), refer to parts of a shadow. In his composition, “Penumbra,” Vincente uses both upper and lower piano registers in a focused and balanced manner. “Reflection” is another truly gorgeous piece that I found very enjoyable all through. This is memorable and poignant, inviting us to simply reflect, perhaps as light does. Love this. Truly captivating, “Intermezzo” is equally as lovely in all regards. The movement in “Infrared” is wonderful. And again, the use of upper and lower piano registers gives us that contrast and balance between light and dark. This is an outstanding piece. The album closes out with the slower paced, melodic, “Visible Light.” This ties things all together – brings all our “colors” into view – is soothing to the soul and brings us back into our earthly “reality.” What do you see? A wonderful and hauntingly beautiful album, you’ll most likely want to get the whole album for the full “light” experience.

Vicente Avella's third full-length album, "Physics of Light," is nothing short of a masterpiece. All sixteen tracks are original piano solos that revolve around light, the physics of light, how it
 behaves, its qualities and properties. Quoting Avella: "I went about creating the music in this album in a way that would remain truthful and respectful to the science. That being said, I am not a scientist nor a physicist so the result is more of a reflection of my own life experiences as seen through the physics of light." Avella recorded the album at home on his own Boston grand piano and the sound quality is rich and colorful, the playing deeply expressive. Avella dedicated the album to his 8-year-old son, Lucas: "my young scientist, a kid with an inquisitive mind, filled with so much curiosity that some of it just rubbed off on me, opening up the streak of curiosity that led me to the creation of this album." Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Vicente Avella came to the US after being accepted in the piano performance program at Indiana University. He released his first album, "All the Days of My Life," in 2013 and the second one, "Rising," in 2018, and both albums won several prominent awards. Avella has scored many films and television programs, is a liturgical musician in the Los Angeles area, and is an instructor at Berklee College of Music's Online Extension and an adjunct faculty at Antelope Valley College. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Piano Performance from Indiana University and his Master's in Music Composition at the Eastman School of Music. "Physics of Light" begins with "Light Particles," a delicate, gentle piece that seems to sparkle and dance lightly on air - a very beautiful beginning! "Radiance" is much faster and is often played in the upper octaves of the piano, suggesting a bright, glowing quality even when it ventures down to the lowest notes on the piano near the end of the piece. On "Where Light and Shadow Meet," Avella very effectively uses the piano's dampers to create a mysterious feeling of isolation and darkness - a favorite. "Oscuro" translates as "dark," and the piece with that title is very dark, indeed. The use of dissonance in places along with crossovers into the deep bass of the piano very effectively heighten the disturbing quality of the music - I really like this one, too! "Resistance" begins slowly and gradually increases both speed and energy. It sounds like the piano is lightly felted on "Color Spectrum," giving it a softer sound. Very spare and expressive, this one is almost haunting. "Penumbra" is defined as "the partially shaded outer region of the shadow cast by an opaque object," so it is no surprise that the piece is mysterious and "shadowy." The left hand conveys a sense of urgency while the right is more ambient, and then the music just fades out at the end - another favorite! The "Umbra" is the innermost and darkest part of a shadow, and the piece with that title is very powerful and dramatic, perhaps expressing the darkest shadows of the mind or of life itself. The last notes just hang for a brief period before the music segues into the bright and almost frenetic "Infrared" - a fascinating study in contrasts! "Visible Light" brings the album to a close with a slower, steady tempo and a quiet melody. What an amazing album! "Physics of Light" is very highly recommended!