UCI A New Brain > A Note from the Director

A Note From the Director

A New Brain is the autobiographical story of William Finn’s own harrowing experience with arteriovenous malformation. After the doctors gave him months to live, but miraculously surviving a craniotomy, Finn was simply able to go home and began to write A New Brain according to his own experience. Finn, with the help of Lapine, turned his near death experience into this beautiful piece centering on Gordon Michael Schwinn. There is beauty in chaos and Finn finds it in his search for a lasting piece of art in conjunction with the healing medium of music. Life is not just a clear train of thought. Finn is able to capture Gordon’s disjunction and internal conflict to write one last song before he dies as opposed to sharing the time he has left with those he loves. We all talk about “change,” but when faced with death, what is the last contribution we want to leave with the world? And more importantly, will we have the time to complete it?

Skyler Gray