Category: Instrumental Works

  • Memory Deconstructed

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    for disklavier and electronics Memory has always been a subject of fascination for me. They are fragile and fallible, yet they are a core part of individualism. Our memories are what shape our worldview. Memory Deconstructed abstracts and obscures various melodies, harmonies, and motives from several piano works by Frederic Chopin. The electronics, Disklavier, and…

  • Two Ships Passing in the Dark of Night

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    for double-bell euphonium and tuba The double-bell euphonium is a unique instrument, often considered a gimmick and impractical. A normal euphonium has a “conical bore,” meaning the tubing gradually flares throughout the instrument. This creates a round sound that fills a space. The double-bell euphonium adds a “cylindrical bore” similar to a baritone which creates…

  • Atmosphere in Gray

    for trombone Gray is a morning covered in a blanket of fog with just a hint of timid color. It is an airy color. The color of clouds warning of the threat of rain, the color of smoke billowing from a warm fire, the color of the moon on a clear night sky. Atmosphere in…

  • A Single Cloud in a Clear Blue Sky

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    for cello Drifting, floating, gliding by:A single cloud in a clear blue sky.

  • 5,000 and Counting Down

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    for tuba and piano On a perfectly clear night sky, it is possible around 5,000 stars. For many of us, due to light pollution from artificial lights, we cannot see all 5,000 stars. And as the amount of light pollution continues to increase, the number of stars we can see will decrease. Besides not being…

  • Between Two Worlds

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    for clarinet, bass clarinet, horn, vibraphone, 2 pianos, 2 violins, viola, and cello Between Two Worlds explores variations in sound and color. It takes the sound of a single strike of the piano, expands and zooms in, altering the sound to highlight subtleties, and using this to build melodies and gestures. It was inspired by…

  • Inside Out

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    for cello and electronics Inside Out explores sounds a cello can produce without the strings. The first sound is of the performer tapping the body of the cello. Because of how the cello is shaped, different areas create slightly different timbres. The second sound requires the performer to (lightly) rub the instrument with a superball…

  • Red Right Returning

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    for double-bell euphonium and handbell trio The title of the piece comes from a sailing idiom used on the Great Lakes which reminds the captain how to approach harbor, that the red buoys are on the right when returning from sea. Red Right Returning flows and floats exploring the vast openness of Lake Michigan. I…

  • Sonata for Tuba and Piano

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    for tuba and piano As a composer, Tuba is a difficult instrument to compose for. It is not as dexterous as a saxophone or as subtle as a cello. Its low range makes composing an accompanying piano part difficult without making the piece muddy. Still, the tuba is able to have a warm and resonant…

  • Silenced

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    for cello, electronics, lights, projection, and audience Silenced is a mono-drama retelling of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. The performer takes the role of the enlightened leading the prisoners, the audience, out of the cave and to the light. The work was inspired by the passage of Ohio SB 104, which made it illegal for…