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“Earth Echoes,” a Franke Institute for the Humanities talk by Augusta Read Thomas, took place at the University of Chicago’s Gleacher Center on February 13, 2013. Thomas, a renowned Grammy-winning composer, is the sixteenth person to hold a University Professorship at the University of Chicago. Widely considered to be among the world’s most accomplished and original composers, she has won acclaim for the dramatic, spontaneous quality of her work and her masterful use of instrumental color.During her talk, Thomas discussed her creative process, examining fundamental qualities inherent to her musical compositions. Topics included rhythm, counterpoint, harmony, text setting, motivic development, organic transformation, nuance, color, improvisation, spirit, and gestalt. The discussion explored how music shares these qualities and processes with many other forms of human endeavor and creativity.Sponsored by the University of Chicago’s Franke Institute for the Humanities, the Chicago Humanities Forum is a series of free public talks by renowned University scholars. For more information on the Franke Institute, please visit: http://franke.uchicago.edu.