© 2025 M.O.T.I.F. (ASCAP) | ca. 10 minutes | INTERMEDIATE (Grade 4)

Prisms are utterly fascinating. Light enters the prism on its smoothest side, then refracts on its other, sharper-edged side into a multitude of colors. In science, prisms are often used for optometry and improving one's vision. In pop culture, the most notable use of a prism is on the album cover art for Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon". In photography, there are special lenses available which use prisms to create a kaleidoscopic image of different colors, patterns, and special effects.

In Kaleidoscopic Prism, the metallic percussion instrument (whether vibraphone or glass marimba) uses ethereal textures, fragmentary harmonies, and murmuring chords to evoke the phenomena of the prism. A larger, flowing section which bridges this material together suggests a ballet-like dance featuring the imagery and effects of the kaleidoscopic prism camera lens, twinkling & wondrous all at once.