RAF Concert Smiles by IPCBirmingham

Religious Arts Festival Concert

February 2, 2025 | 4:00 PM

Smiles Concert

Amy Aberg McLelland - Composer | Piano

Daniel Szasz - Violin

Xi Yang - Cello

Rosalynn Fairless - Narrator

Rev. Kevin J. Long, Pastor

Independent Presbyterian Church

Birmingham, AL

Program

"Smiles for Piano Trio" ........................................................................... Amy Aberg McLelland (b.1963)

Creation of the Smile

1. Lying Smile 2. Polite Smile 3. Pan Am Smile 4. Dominance Smile 5. Seductive Smile 6. Peace is the Smile of God 7. Duchenne Smile 8.

Commissioned for the 2025 Religious Arts Festival

“Piano Trio No. 44 in E Major”, Hob. XV/28, “The Wanderer”................... Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Allegro Moderato Allegretto

Finale: Allegro

“909 A.D.” ................................................................................................Amy Aberg McLelland

“Smile” ............................................................................................................... Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) arr. McKenzie | McLelland

Program Notes

Smiles for Piano Trio

“Smiles”, a collection of short pieces written for Piano Trio, is a musical description of several facial expressions we use to communicate. From the genuine, pure smile we imagine God creating on the 6th day, to all the various ways humans offer their flawed yet creative input, the set concludes with the gold standard Duchenne smile. St. Teresa of Calcutta believed that peace begins with a smile because it starts with smiling at God. She also believed that smiling at others is a way to show love and compassion. “Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love,” she said. “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.” “Smile at your wife, smile at your husband, smile at your children, smile at each other — it doesn’t matter who it is — and that will help you to grow in greater love for each other.” This unassuming saint of Calcutta, who worked with the sick and the dying, also said, “We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do” and “Every time you smile at someone it is an action of love. A gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”

The inspiration for these pieces came from some advice the composer’s grandmother offered during a difficult time in the 1980s. She suggested smiling. She said the act of smiling can have a positive impact on your wellbeing. Reluctantly, the composer smiled as she walked across her college campus. The fake smile was welcomed with genuine, or polite smiles which in turn provided peace and healing. The composer’s great grandmother was a midwife in the Appalachian Mountains. From advice on herbs and which mushrooms were safe to eat, to simple things like smiling, we all benefited from her wisdom over the years. Indeed, smiling can benefit your health and well-being. Smiling releases endorphins -- natural mood boosters --and can improve your mood and reduce stress.

Of course, the type of smile is the secret ingredient. As the poet William Blake explains in his poem “The Smile,”

There is a Smile of Love

And there is a Smile of Deceit

And there is a Smile of Smiles

In which these two Smiles meet

And there is a Frown of Hate

And there is a Frown of disdain

And there is a Frown of Frowns

Which you strive to forget in vain

For it sticks in the Hearts deep Core And it sticks in the deep Back bone

And no Smile that ever was smild But only one Smile alone

That betwixt the Cradle & Grave It only once Smild can be But when it once is Smild Theres an end to all Misery,”

Franz Joseph Haydn’s Piano Trio No. 44 in E major, Hob. XV/28, “The Wanderer”

With the introduction of Artificial Intelligence, where machines replicate the way humans think, ethics in modern day times now must deal not only with fake human smiles, but fake videos and entirely altered realities. Photos turned into a talking head video? It’s not science fiction anymore. There are all sorts of apps, available even on our smart phones, which can generate lifelike facial expressions and even talking faces from photographs and single images. It’s strange to think that a picture hanging on your wall could one day give a lecture, or that a machine could understand and mimic human emotions just from a static image and some sound. Going beyond simple lip-syncing such as apps like “My Talking Pet”, Microsoft introduced VASA-1 last year which uses advanced AI to create a truly lifelike experience. It analyzes an audio and image to generate facial expressions, head movements, and subtle emotional cues, resulting in a natural and engaging video. No wonder YouTube required creators to answer yes or no to questions regarding Altered Content before uploading a video, asking “if the video makes a real person appear to say or do something they didn’t say or do”, or “alter footage of a real event or place”, or “generates a realistic looking scene that didn’t actually occur.” If that wasn’t enough, there is even a subset of artificial intelligence called Emotion AI which measures, understands, simulates, and reacts to human emotions. While humans might currently have the upper hand on reading emotions, machines are gaining ground using their own strengths. They can listen to voice inflections and start to recognize when those inflections correlate with stress or anger. Machines can analyze images and pick up subtleties in micro-expressions on humans’ faces that might happen even too fast for a person to recognize.

Some say that AI could eventually evolve to experience more complex emotions, such as excitement, empathy, or sadness. However, AI would still lack the ability to truly empathize or sympathize with the emotions it recognizes. One of the VASA-1 project demonstrations was a clip of the Mona Lisa rapping to a popular rap song. For today’s concert, we thought classical music would be more appropriate as we explore how the Mona Lisa might have possibly reacted to the music of Franz Joseph Haydn. We used the Xpression AI app plus a little help from some humans since, fortunately, AI does not yet know how to experience an emotional response.

Yes, this experiment is a bit sacrilegious, since the whole point of Da Vinci’s painting is that there’s no need to alter Mona Lisa’s expression which already encompasses so many different emotions. However, it seemed important to include a nod to AI as a reminder to all of us all to stay vigilant in our fact checking, open-mindedness, and prayer when encountering this new Wild West of fake smiles and beyond. While the education sector stands to benefit tremendously from AI, helping students engage with historical figures brought to life or witness complex scientific concepts explained by animated characters, this technology also comes with significant responsibility. Its ability to manipulate video raises serious ethical concerns.

Recognizing the potential for misuse, Microsoft has not yet released the VASA-1 program to the public. Malicious actors could use the technology to create fake videos of politicians or celebrities, potentially swaying public opinion or damaging reputations. Manipulating existing videos could spread misinformation or be used for harassment or fraud. In fact, these sorts of manipulations of truth are already being performed by other AI programs around the world, so why not use this technology for some innocent, creative fun as we see how Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile can be replaced with perhaps a frown, sneer, a wink, or some of the many smiles we just explored.

Why Haydn? Because he loved humor. Haydn was a prankster. He enjoyed surprising people and this comes across in his music. He will build up expectations and then shift gears completely. The music will be headed somewhere harmonically and then goes wrong altogether. It doesn’t take a formal harmonic analysis to appreciate this humor either. It is quite obvious and comes across easily if performed the right way. So, it seemed fitting that Haydn would be involved in this humorous and borderline tasteless experiment. (Think of the bassoon part in his 93rd symphony).

Haydn infuses some of his humoristic color right from the start in his Piano Trio No. 44 in E major, Hob. XV/28, which opens with the violin and cello playing a hopeful, ascending theme … yet in pizzicato! The piano answers with an ornamented legato version of the same theme, before all three instruments burst into a lively bridge section leading toward the dominant. The opening theme is reproduced in the development section in a rich, chorale-textured version in A-flat major. With its creeping, underlying ostinato bass, the second movement is in essence a form of a passacaglia. The ominous bass line is first introduced by all three instruments in unison, before the piano introduces a winding, ornamental melody over the top of it. Later, the melody and bass are used in invertible counterpoint.

But lest we stay in the Super Mario Brothers underworld for too long, Haydn propels us back to fun when the final movement breaks in with a lively, triple meter finale. He introduces a theme with short phrases which is both playful in its rhythms and its irregular length. The violin takes over in the minor-mode middle section, which includes an extraordinary modulation to (hello!) E-flat minor, while the return of the opening material is accompanied by changes in register and the action is temporarily suspended by several diminished seventh chords before the supercilious finale comes to a close.

909 AD – The Life of an Ancient Redwood

Beyond facial expressions, nonverbal communication, (or body language), is everything that communicates but is not a word. All day long, we are communicating nonverbally and, what’s interesting, is that the primary way that we influence each other is through nonverbals. “In a way, our body language is exquisite because there is an area of the brain that is elegant. It is elegant because it takes shortcuts. It doesn’t think. For example, if a Bengal tiger were to enter this room and walk around, no one would wave at it. That’s like saying ‘eat me!’. No, everyone would freeze. And that’s because of the limbic system. This rather primitive area of the brain reacts to the world but doesn’t have to think about the world.” – Joe Navarro. Limbic reactions are authentic. They are hard wired in us and part of our paleocircuits. This can be demonstrated with children who are born blind. When they hear something they don’t like, they don’t cover their ears – they cover their eyes. Yet, they’ve never seen! This is millions of years old.

The power of this primitive, nonverbal human communication is remindful of the way trees in a forest communicate. It is a silent communication, yet powerful enough to preserve ancient trees for thousands and thousands of years. Have you ever hiked through a forest and suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of awe and respect, as though you were intruding upon a thousand-year-old, private conversation to which you really shouldn’t be privy? Your instincts were not be that far off because trees actually do communicate with each other through an underground network formed by fungal mycelium that weaves into the roots of plants and trees on a cellular level. This underground mychorrhizal network actually allows the trees to communicate with each other.

Indeed, all of these trees work together, relying on each other for their health and prosperity. In a single forest, a mother tree, (or hub tree), can be connected to hundreds of other trees. Mother trees will send their excess carbon through the mychorrhizal network to the understory seedlings. Suzanne Simard, an ecologist who studies forests, conducted experiments for decades and found that, just like humans who favor their own children, trees recognized their own kin. She explains, “Mother trees colonize their kin with bigger mycorrhizal networks. They send them more carbon below ground. They even reduce their own root competition to make elbow room for their kids. When mother trees are injured or dying, they also send messages of wisdom to the next generation of seedlings.”

The composition “909 A.D.” describes the life of a giant Redwood tree in Northern California. Sitting deep in the woods in a quintessential alluvial-flat grove, one tree in particular speaks the loudest and shares his thousand-yearold story. You can almost feel him smile as he describes his rich, fulfilling. He is blooming where he was planted. He has no reason to leave his spot. He is at peace, rooted and strong, as he dances with the forest. Removed from the swarms of loud tourists, it is so quiet in the woods; only the wind accompanies the conversations of the trees. Sitting among the trees, a sacredness surrounds and fills our pores and very being. Beneath the trees, the sun sends beams down to spotlight the choreography of the glorious ferns and magical plants and undergrowth as they dance and delight in the gentle wind. There is subtle movement, action, and life everywhere.

We witness the tree’s humble birth in 909 A.D. out of a seed in the soil. His first root emerges among this open, pure redwood stand with huge trees on a perfectly flat plain carpeted with redwood sorrel and dotted with ferns. The young tree grows and grows until he towers 100s of feet, reaching a height of greater than a 30-floor skyscraper. When the tree turned 583 years old, Columbus Sailed to America. When he was 867 years old, the Declaration of Independence was signed. When he was one thousand and 60 years old, man landed on the moon.

Giant redwoods extend as far as can be seen in every direction. There is an expansive feel as the trees sway in the wind and talk of all the grand adventures they mean to take one day …. once they get away. We imagine the bark of the trees through the motivic writing. Later, we hear the computer-like mycorrhizal networks of the fungi. The music modulates to distant keys yet always returns as the trees “talk of going but never get away and talk no less for knowing as they grow wiser and mean to stay.”

Over the thousand plus years of his lifetime nearby trees have shared nutrients and wisdom. Among these trees was the Dyerville Giant which was known as the world’s tallest known tree from 1972 until it fell in 1991 during a storm. The giant redwood’s crash to the ground moved the earth so much that it registered on a nearby seismograph. The entire length of the fallen giant still lies on the forest floor and, through a process called grafting, nearby trees continue to share nutrients with this fallen tree. Indeed, all these trees work together, relying on each for their health and prosperity. They are not greedy when sharing. They form strong bonds among themselves, resulting in these oldgrowth forests that will inhabit the earth for millions of years.

When asked the question “Who are we? What are we in this universe?”, Carl Sagan answered “all we are is the sum total of our influence on others.” Perhaps we could learn a lesson from the trees, because if there’s one thing we need in this world, it’s truly to be more empathetic. These forests’ inner workings offer a lesson for us all; the community must remain intact no matter what. As Christians, we are asked to be empathetic towards each other because it reflects the love of Jesus and helps to build a stronger community. Through active listening, forgiveness, patience, and showing compassion, we practice empathy. And, like the trees, we should not be greedy with our empathy.

While the trees are probably discussing things like how to survive fires, parasites, and droughts, and other topics of conversations important enough to have continued for approximately 450 million years, perhaps we might imagine

instead that they are discussing all of the grand adventures they mean to have one day when they “get away”, as Robert Frost describes in his poem, “The Sound of Trees,”, “The Sound of Trees,”

“I wonder about the trees. Why do we wish to bear Forever the noise of these More than another noise So close to our dwelling place? We suffer them by the day Till we lose all measure of pace, And fixity in our joys, And acquire a listening air. They are that that talks of going But never gets away; And that talks no less for knowing, As it grows wiser and older, That now it means to stay. My feet tug at the floor And my head sways to my shoulder

Sometimes when I watch trees sway, From the window or the door. I shall set forth for somewhere, I shall make the reckless choice Some day when they are in voice And tossing so as to scare The white clouds over them on. I shall have less to say, But I shall be gone.”

Toward the end of the piece, we imagine through the music the trees dancing with their nerdy, wooden, jerky movements as they describe all of their grand adventures, they intend to have one day when they “get away”. Yet, with the close, we see that the trees have grown wiser and now mean to stay … and they are at peace.

Smile

The final work on the program is an arrangement of the song “Smile” written by Charlie Chaplin. Charles Spencer Chaplin, born in 1889 in Walworth, South London, suffered many childhood hardships. From his father’s absence due to alcoholism and his parents’ ultimate separation leaving them in poverty, to his mother’s mental illness brought on by malnourishment that affected her brain, (hunger can cause insanity!), Charlie had to start work at age 7 when his mother was institutionalized. These challenges not only shaped his character but also profoundly influenced his artistic vision and rise to stardom in the silent film industry. When he signed with Mutual for $670,000 per year, Chaplin became one of the highest paid stars in the world. Chaplin said, "I have many problems in my life but my lips don't know that. They always smile".

"Life laughs at you when you are unhappy, but life smiles at you when you are happy.” He also said, “Life is a play that does not allow resting. So, sing, cry, dance, laugh and live intensely, before the curtain closes and the piece ends with no applause". He composed “Smile” for his 1936 film Modern Times. The song was originally instrumental, but John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons added the following lyrics in 1954:

“Smile though your heart is aching Smile even though it's breaking When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by If you smile through your fear and sorrow Smile and maybe tomorrow You'll see the sun come shining through for you Light up your face with gladness Hide every trace of sadness Although a tear may be ever so near That's the time you must keep on trying

Smile, what's the use of crying?

You'll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just smile

That's the time you must keep on trying Smile, what's the use of crying?

You'll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just smile.”

One of Chaplin’s most famous quotes was “Life is still worthwhile, if you just smile.” Scientists now know that Chaplin, (and the composer’s wise depression-era grandmother), were onto something real. There is an expression, “Smile, God loves you.” While there are no Biblical accounts of Jesus commanding this, He was very explicit about frowning in his Sermon on the Mount as we find in Matthew 6:16, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting.”

The way we use our facial expressions significantly affects others. The face has power to uplift or tear down. Perhaps you once received a “cosmic smile” from a stranger that turned your day around and gave you hope? A smile can help others feel more welcomed whereas a frown might be interpreted as sadness or disapproval and potentially cause the other person to feel cautious or concerned. A stern glare or angry facial expression can make someone feel threatened or intimidated. Therapists often use facial expressions intentionally to convey empathy, understanding, and support to a client. Through subtle facial cues like mirroring the client’s emotions, showing concern, the client feels heard and validated. Nonverbal cues like facial expressions can quickly establish a connection and foster trust and openness

Examining human anatomy, the miraculous power of this influence is even further legitimized. God designed us with 43 muscles in our face to control facial expressions and communication. He also designed our bodies to release endorphins into the bloodstream from the pituitary gland and the brain and spinal cord from the hypothalamus when the muscles, (specifically the zygomaticus muscles involved with smiling), pull the orbicularis oris, (the circular muscle of your mouth), upwards. When activated, these muscles which are innervated by the various branches of the facial nerve send signals to the brain that you are smiling. Even if you're not actually happy, activating the muscles associated with smiling can fool your brain into thinking you are. Lead researcher Sarah Pressman PhD of the University of Kansas explains, "It's not just that our brains are happy and make us smile, it can also be the opposite -- we feel the smile and become happy."

Christians have a responsibility to uplift others and to actively encourage, support, and build each other up through words of affirmation, acts of kindness, and sharing of faith. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 states, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Hebrews 10:24-25 reads, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” The writer of Ecclesiastes observes the connection between wisdom and facial expression when he writes, “A man’s wisdom illuminates him and causes his stern face to beam” (Eccles. 8:1). Of course, without the assistance of AI, our faces can only convey what is in our heart and on our mind. Words can lie, but the brain cannot. Therein lies the ultimate challenge for us as human beings. Psalm 80:3 reads, “Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.”

References

Pisani, Joe (2023). “Jesus Calls Us to Love and Smile”.

Jones, David Wyn (2009). The Life of Haydn. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Smith, Courtney (2012). The Science of Smiling: The Anatomy and Function of a Smile

Matthew 6:16 (NIV); 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV); Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV); Psalm 80:3 (NIV)

“The Power of Nonverbal Communication.” YouTube, uploaded by Tedx Talks, 31 March 31 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLaslONQAKM VASA-1. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/vasa-1/

“How Trees Talk to Each Other – Suzanne Simard.” YouTube, uploaded by Ted, 30 August, 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un2yBgIAxYs&t=593s Frost, Robert (1916). “The Sound of Trees”, PoetryFoundation.org

Charles Chaplin Biography. www.imdb.com/name/nm0000122/bio/

“Smile Lyrics.” Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 17 Jan. 2025. www.lyrics.com/lyric/3986728/Charlie+Chaplin/Smile