Composer
Threads was inspired by simple Renaissance melodic imitation techniques, specifically “stretto fuga.” I learned about the technique from the YouTube channel Early Music Sources and decided to play with it a little and see what I could make. The end result also draws on my influence from the dissonant counterpoint found in mid-20th Century American …
for Tammy Evans Yonce “All my life, my heart has sought a thing I cannot name. Remembered line from a long- forgotten poem.” — Hunter S. Thompson Download the score: A Thing I Cannot Name
Used Illusions is a short concerto for glissando flute and concert band. The whole work follows a traditional three movements structure of fast-slow-fast and each movement is built from motives as gestures found in Guns n’ Roses albums. The first movement, “Loco,” draws inspiration from the driving and propulsive “Locomotive” off of Use Your Illusion …
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 am eternally grateful to Brent Miller for introducing me to the work of David Lynch and especially the television series Twin Peaks. While I was aware of the show when it was originally on the air I didn’t watch it until Brent demanded I do so. I’ve been a fan ever since (although I …
I have a file full of potential titles and one summer this file grew quite a bit as I re-read William Gibson’s classic Neuromancer. When Tammy Evans Yonce asked for a piece for glissando flute (flute with a glissando head joint) and electronics I proposed the title “Dreams Grow Like Slow Ice,” which I’m pretty …
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 …
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]
The mood of the piece is quiet and contemplative which is in stark contrast to the heavy and aggressive work I started composing for this instrumentation. I’ve been finding lately that my music is tending towards soft, slow, and spare sounds instead of raucous cacophony. The title comes from the most unusual line in the children’s book …
This is one of those cases where the program notes aren’t going to tell you much. There isn’t much to this piece other than an inclination towards mechanical and quirky material. This march was ?rst composed for saxophone quartet in 1997 and, after about a decade of neglect, I decided the music wasn’t so bad …