Behind Corneal Gates
This is an arrangement of "Behind Corneal Gates" for soprano, clarinet, and string quartet.
Chamber
|| About || Albums || Projects || Performances || Works ||
Chicago Miniaturist Blues
Chicago Miniaturist Blues was composed for the Chicago Miniaturist Ensemble, who called for works of 100 notes or less.
100 Words about 100 Notes:
There are two things that come to my mind when I think about Chicago: pizza and blues. A little cliché perhaps, but I have only visited Chicago four times in my life, and only once spent the night there. My firsthand knowledge of this great city is unfortunately limited.
Rockin'
Joplin Fetish
This is the second piece I've composed for marimbist Brenton Dunnington. He asked for a flashy encore piece that called for piano and marimba. I chose to use Joplin as the subject of the work as so much mallet repertoire is derived from ragtime. Plus, many pianists who play Joplin's music seemed obsessed with using at a showcase for their prowess and technique.
The Sincerest Form of Flattery
When marimbist Brenton Dunnington asked me to compose a new piece for him, I chose to pay homage to J.S. Bach. As a composer I often will go to Bach when I’m feeling uninspired or creatively drained. His scores are an eternal source of wonderment for me. He was a master of style and counterpoint. He was efficient with his materials. And he gave his music an intensity and energy that belie its complexity. His is a music I aspire to, not in style, but in construction. This suite then is a reflection on Bach’s music and how it has influenced my own work.
Watchmen
Imagine an America different from the one we know. What if Nixon had never been found out? What if he had been able to strip term limits from the Constitution and gone on to a fourth term in office? What if America had prevailed in Vietnam, making it the 51st state in the Union, and now stands on the brink of nuclear war with the Soviet Union ?
In Other Words…
Composed for W. Bruce Curlette, this piece is a celebration of the music of Charles Mingus. It grew out of a love for his work and an interest in certain ideas concerning the so-called "third stream"—the combining of classical and jazz traditions. In Other Words… is loosley based on two Mingus compositions: Goodbye Porkpie Hat and Better Git It In Your Soul.
Snapshots
Snapshots was a commission from a friend, Jonathan Whitman, who wanted a gift for his wife on their fifth wedding anniversary. She plays piano and he plays french horn.
Every long term relationship is remembered as a series of isolated moments: snapshots. These moments—public joys, private jokes, intimate conversations, passionate disagreements—combine to describe the experience and essence of a relationship.
The Ballad of Milt Famey
The Ballad of Milt Famey tells the story of the 1920 World Series between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Cleveland Indians. The pitcher for the Dodgers was a young Milt Famey, who had compiled the greatest win-loss record in the history of the National League. His ERA was incredibly low, a stunning 0.38. In the season leading to the World Series Famey had won 38 flawlessly pitched games with zero losses. This amazing feat has never since been matched.
So why don’t we all know who he is? We know Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron, but not Milt Famey. For all of his skill and prowess he never won the World Series. Famey struggled with alcohol, and attempted to close the seventh game of the 1920 series while severely drunk. This great pitcher threw four balls, walking Elmer Smith and losing the game and the series. He never recovered from that loss, and the rest of his career was unremarkable.
In the End, The Soprano Always Wins
In the End, The Soprano Always Wins is an opera for soprano with video playback and a non-singing dramatic role. The story is a game show for musicians who have to repeat a pattern of notes that is played for them. The idea originated in a conversation with Monica Harte (for whom this opera was composed) when she said that she always wanted to have a piece written based on the old electronic Simon game. She thought that the patterns could get faster and faster until craziness ensued.
Pages
