Writing for guitar can be a little intimidating to composers who don’t play it. While I did take some lessons in order to better understand classical guitar technique, I was definitely intimidated by Kenji Haba’s request for a new piece. I turned to miniatures inspired by the Five Hindrances found in Buddhism. These short movements…
Tag: zen
Reflections on the Nature of Impermanence for tenor sax and snare drum (2017)
In early 2017 I was experiencing some of the worst burnout I’ve ever had. Stress from all sides of my life was my only companion. I could only focus on what I needed to do an hour at a time, a minute at a time, a moment at a time. I was struggling with just…
Ryonen’s Clear Realization for speaking percussion trio (2014)
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…