Composer
This song cycle was composed in 2017 for soprano LaToya Lain and pianist Casey Robards. The text is drawn from the poetry of Elizabeth Browning and was adapted and edited by Aiden Kim Feltkamp. Insufficiency I Inclusions The Lady’s Yes A Musical Instrument A Reed Life and Love Insufficiency II Download the score: A Dream of …
I started composing this song for my friend and colleague Keith Clifton in late 2017. I finally finished the setting in early 2018. The text is taken from a letter written by Alec Guinness while he was on the set of Star Wars. jaybatzner · A Draft of Guinness Download the score: Draft of Guinness
This piece was composed for Tracy Watson and the Crescent Duo (Joanna and Kennen White). Based on the poem “Orbs (Word of the Day)” by Joanna White. Download the score (original flute + bass clarinet version): Word of the Day Download the score (voice + piano version): Word of the Day A recording can be …
I composed these two pieces for 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 Katherine Crawford and given its premiere performance at Electronic Music Midwest in 2013. The poetry is by Robert Fanning and is included in the score. Special thanks to the Freesound.org users ethang, laureci, ephemeral-rift, and sandyrb for their sonic contributions and to Laura Patterson whose live performance of my piece All My Dreams are Silent …
In late 2012, I challenged myself to write a new vocal composition each week. I dubbed the project “Lied Time” and while I tried my best, I only managed to complete a handful of compositions. This haiku was just so lovely and perfect, I couldn’t resist doing anything but a simple setting. Download the score: perfect …
In late 2012, I challenged myself to write a new vocal composition each week. I dubbed the project “Lied Time” and while I tried my best, I only managed to complete a handful of compositions. When I was an undergraduate, I tried to set this poem by A. E. Housman and it didn’t go very …
In late 2012, I challenged myself to write a new vocal composition each week. I dubbed the project “Lied Time” and while I tried my best, I only managed to complete a handful of compositions. This short work was the first: a bawdy limerick. It isn’t very polite; consider yourself warned! Download the score: Limerick
I have this collection of poetry from Pitt Press that I’ve been reading and reading since about 1992. A few poems by Ted Kooser caught my mind and I filed them away for a future text setting. When Katherine Crawford asked me to write a piece for her and electronics, I decided to finally act …
For Christmas in 1992, my future in-laws gave me a poetry collection from the Pitt Poetry Series. A few of Bill Knott’s poems were in this collection and I’ve been a fan of his work ever since. These poems are some of my favorite short poems from his collection Laugh at the End of the …