Hi, I’m Nicholas Alan Yandell and welcome to my page!
I’m a Portland, Oregon-based composer, musician, writer, and visual artist. Musically, I specialize in composing film scores, contemporary classical concert works, post-rock, and electronic music and am half of the psychedelic-emo-synth-pop duo
Gentle Heresy (with Tristan Bliss) as a singer, musician, and
songwriter. I’ve composed or collaborated on a number of scores for short films and film projects, and have had the pleasure of having my works performed by such artists as the Delgani String Quartet, Rose City Brass Quintet, Oregon Symphony cellist Marilyn De Olivera, the Iridescence Piano Flute Duo, the Madrona Viola Duo, drag performers Saint Syndrome and Tabitha Acidz, as well as numerous other
performers through Cascadia Composers (a chapter of NACUSA). In 2019, I had the honor of being one of the four composers commissioned by 45th Parallel to set the words of poet Micah Fletcher to music and got to perform with the Pyxis Quartet (and percussionist Sergio Carreno) at their: "I Spat in the Eye of Hate and Lived" concert. I also hold a Masters of Music Composition and a Bachelor of Music from Five Towns College in Dix Hills, NY, and have had the honor of being named the 2020 Composer of the Year by the Oregon Music Teachers Association (OMTA). I willingly and whole-heartedly embrace the opportunity to compose for any instrumental or vocal combination and have even made my own instruments for performances.
As an author, I passionately explore the world of fiction, poetry, and essays, and am the author of the poetry zine Of Restless Wonder, and the photo zine The Lost Drinks of Las Vegas. I've had works published in multiple editions of RFD magazine and the journal Deep Overstock, as well as the being featured in a Beyond the Veil press anthology How to Heal a Bloodline, and the zines Art of Learning to Fly and Handbasket (no. 13). I also work as an editor and frequent podcast guest/contributor/host for The Poet Heroic and Deep Overstock. I have finished my first novel Holy Week and hope to release it in the near future.
Visually, I create works I refer in as “extant art”. The definition of Extant is: still in existence; surviving; not destroyed or lost. This is art that focuses on what remains after the surface of an object, person, or idea is stripped away, often layered with themes of catharsis and sanctification. This idea is expressed through breaking down images to their simple lines and shapes, often breaking them apart and adding limited, often stark, contrasting colors, and backgrounds that interact with the images. Most of these pieces are acrylic-based, multi-media works with an assortment of metals, glass, plastics, stones, and other small items glued to or embedded in the paint.
In all my creative works, I’m interested in delving deeply into subjects such as mental health and psychology, spirituality and perseverance, all with an ultimately hopeful outlook, woven into strongly comprehensible narratives. As a queer person, I also use creativity to express my struggles with identity and sexuality as well as my own personal journey to acceptance.
