Composer
I first heard the koan about Ryonen on the Daily Buddhism podcast. At first, I was struck by the Zen teachers’ reactions to Ryonen since their views on her beauty offended my more contemporary feminist attitudes. The story stuck with me and I kept thinking about it. The more I sat with it the more …
I composed these two pieces for mezzo-soprano LaToya Lain and pianist Casey Robards. These texts about love made such an impact on me that I just had to share them with as many people as possible. Download the score: Sufi Songs
Composed for the Central Michigan University New Music Ensemble, both movements are typical of my current compositional output. Harmonies are based on the repetition of a simple interval pattern and long lyrical melodies weave their way through these chaconnes. The rhythms and colors are rather plain, unadorned, and far from ornate. The directness and simplicity …
I was waking up one morning and the title for this piece was stuck in my head. I wasn’t sure why, I didn’t necessarily know what it sounded like, but I knew it was a good title. When Andrew Allen asked me to write a piece for him, I threw this title at him and …
In early 2009, I was asked to write a work for woodwind octet. I pushed around a lot of ideas which didn’t work until I finally de- cided to revive an old work for saxophone quartet (this quartet movement is currently operating under the title Mechismo). The piece is mechanical, chunky, and slightly robotic. Given …
This quartet started its life as a fanfare and then became the first movement of a multi- movement work (the rest of the movements were pretty bad and they have been destroyed). I’ve always liked the material in this quartet; its forward momentum, its octatonic melodies, its mechanical nature. I’ve tried reviving this movement several …
This work was composed for the Central Michigan University New Music Ensemble in early 2013. The unusual accumulation of instruments inspired the form and structure of the piece as well as the idea to feature the trombone as a soloist (being the solo brass instrument in the group). The concertino juxtaposes the soloist with various …
A 10 minute chamber opera for two voices, piano, and string quartet. Cast: L (mezzo); C (baritone) The scenario Secrets and Waffles is the first completed installment in the forthcoming series titled Tales from the Waffle Shack. This work is the second dramatic collaboration, but the first musical one, between composer Jay C. Batzner and …
In the summer of 2004, I was fortunate to be accepted to the Composers Conference at Wellesley College. Mario Davidovsky, the main composer entity during those two weeks, was celebrating his 70th birthday that year. All of the composer fellows decided, quite at the last minute, to each write a variation on “Happy Birthday” and surprise Mario with performances of …
Most of my compositions come from some speci?c form of non-musical inspiration and are therefore easy to title. Sometimes, though, I write a work which is devoid of extramusical inspiration. [untitled] is an abstract piece that explores different instrumental colors in a slow and organic manner. Performed by the pLAy ensemble. Download the score: [untitled]