The Nameless Path is a metaphor for how the piece was composed. I began with a relatively clear idea of what I thought I wanted to happen in the piece, but at a certain point, I found myself in a place I wasn’t expecting. It wasn’t a bad place, and truth be told I quite … Read more
‘Ancient Places’ began in 2010 as a set of 3 short pieces for mixed quartet. I originally wrote them for a competition which give the contestants two weeks to write a five minute piece. I did it in one. Though I didn’t win, I was satisfied enough with the piece to add 2 additional pieces. … Read more
When writing ‘Forests and Barrios’ for flute and guitar quartet, I was asked to include something tango-esque. Not wanting to merely acknowledge this musical art form so emblematic of Argentina, I wanted to comment on the plight of the Guarani people of Northern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil, whom I had the chance to meet … Read more
The ‘Red and White Suite’ is loosely based on poetry by Elfriede Jelinek. Very loosely. Its roots come from the Bach dance suites, and it is structured as such. The piece is split into five movements: Overture, Allemande, Sarabande, Minuet, and Gigue. For the most part, it is traditional Baroque dance suite, each movement a … Read more
Stillwater Marsh, for flute and cello, is based loosely on my many walks through the waterfowl resting area of the same name, located in Bloomington, Indiana. From mid-October to mid-April it serves as a prime spot for duck hunters. During all other months, the marsh is partially drained, with a number of areas still offering … Read more
This unusual percussion duo, written for Melanie and Steven Sehman, is made up of two movements. In truth, they are more like two separate but related pieces, each based on the same material though with vastly different renderings. The first movement, ‘Pitch-Fork,’ is a play on words describing both the interversion serial process governing pitch/rhythmic … Read more
‘Eclat Cycle’ is a set of 9 short pieces for string quartet. The piece began as a compositional exercise where I would sit for 2 or 3 hours and write a single short piece for string quartet with minimal or no revision afterward. What began as a set of 3 pieces, totaling less than 4 … Read more
‘Deep Carving’ was commissioned by the Third Coast Percussion Quartet. Its title comes from the long tradition of Pacific Coast First Nations carving. Something that has been beautifully or artfully made is said to be ‘deeply carved.’ The carvings of the Pacific Coast First Nations people are focused on the physical boundaries of the object, … Read more
On January 2, 2016, armed militants took control of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, one of the premiere birding sites in the U.S. The occupation lasted nearly a month. The incident was an instance not only of the illegal occupation of federally protected land, but an example of the daily encroachment of humans … Read more
At first, I wasn’t sure about the title of this piece, but gradually I’ve warmed to its present name. Tetrax is one of the six Ephesia grammata (Ephesian words) used beginning around the 4th or 5th centuries B.C.E. in Greece. They had no meaning in and of themselves but were thought to contain great power … Read more