My Vernacular Songbook was intend as a collection of songs about everyday issues facing working class people. I want the songs to fuse elements from the art song tradition and the chamber ensemble that has become ubiquitous since the mid-twentieth century, rhythm section plus voice and melodic instruments. (For example, most rock songs feature drum …
I have posted the scores for Earth and Pluto, as well as renderings of both pieces on my audio page. I am looking forward to the premiere in June 2015 by the Charlotte Civic Orchestra led by Geoff Whitehead. I hope to see many of my friends in the Charlotte NC area at the premiere. …
My latest latest two compositions for orchestra, Earth, The Sustainer of Life, and Pluto, Guardian of the Underworld, will be premiered by the Charlotte Civic Orchestra, conducted by Geoff Whitehead, on June 7th, 2015 at 3:30pm. The concert features Gustav Holsts’ The Planets and will take place at Sharon United Methodist Church, 4411 Sharon Road, Charlotte, …
The premiere for Silence in Forty-Two went very very well. This is my second premiere since January of this year with at least two more scheduled between now and June 2015 (look for a post on this soon…). Baritone Jeff McEvoy sang wonderfully and pianist Tomoko Deguchi played brilliantly as usual. The concert was well attended …
For my friends in the Charlotte area… My latest composition, Silence in Forty-Two for baritone and piano will be premiered Sunday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m. The performance is part of the Providence Chamber Music Series at the Providence United Methodist Church, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC. 28211. Silence in Forty-Two is a collaboration between me and …
I have posted the score for my most recent composition Silence in Forty-Two on my SCORES page. As mentioned in an earlier post, the premiere is set for April 12, 2015 in Charlotte, NC, USA. See my previous post for details. The premiere will feature baritone Jeff McEvoy (for whom the piece was written) and pianist Tomoko …
I have posted a remixed – re-mastered version of Afterimage 8 to my audio web site. I think it sounds better than the older un-mastered version. Among other improvements, I adjusted the balance between the orchestra and the computer audio to create a more realistic mix. Enjoy.
My latest composition, Silence in Forty-Two, is nearing completion. Scored for piano and baritone, Silence in Forty-Two was written for baritone Jeff McEvoy. The text is an adaptation of Dustin M. Hoffman‘s short story of the same name. The premiere is set for Sunday, April 12, 2015 as part of the Providence Chamber Music Series. The …
I have posted the score for Reflections and Lore to my Scores page. I also posted a live recording of the Bechtler Ensemble/Out of Bounds Ensemble performance of Reflections and Lore from February 1, 2015 on my Audio page. The premiere of the Firebird pieces at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art was sold out! …
My latest composition, Reflections and Lore, was premiered at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in Charlotte, NC on January 25, 2015. The performance took place amid an exhibit highlighting the Firebird statue and the career and work of Niki de Saint Phalle. What an amazing place and way to present new music. The concert …
For some time I had the desire to create a collection of songs based on the lives, work, and experiences of working class people. I grew up in a proud working class family and did my share of of manual labor in my youth. Recently, I met a creative writer (Dustin Hoffman) who, among other …
My latest composition Reflections and Lore for string quintet and piano is now in rehearsal in preparation for the premiere on January 25 at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in Charlotte, NC. The first rehearsal was among the best first rehearsals of my music I have experienced. The players are all first-rate professionals from …
Several years ago I had the idea to write a collection of songs that would focus on the experiences, issues, and lives of working class America. I grew up in a working class family and I was intrigued with the notion of exploring the everyday issues inherent in working for a living. I had a …
My latest composition, Reflections and Lore is now complete. The first draft of the score was delivered to conductor Alan Yamamoto today. After the premiere I will tweak details such as bowing, dynamics, and piano pedaling and post the score to my scores page. Check back often. As mentioned in previous posts, the premiere will …
My latest composition Reflections and Lore is nearing completion. When I learned that conductor and bassist Tom Hildreth would be available for the concert I immediately added bass, augmenting the instrumentation to string quintet plus piano. It seemed only natural to add a pizzicato bass solo, which prompted me to add other solos for violin, cello, …
The recently completed video version of my work Anacoustic Zones, with video by Seth Rouser, will be premiered at the University of Florida’s Unbalanced Connection series on Friday, October 31 2014. I want to thank Dr. James Paul Sain for his relentless support of new music. The Unbalanced Connection concert on Friday will be the …
I have posted my latest collaboration with visual artist Seth Rouser to my Video page. Seth has created a wonderful video component to my electroacoustic work Anacoustic Zones. Anacoustic Zones was originally written for the Florida Electroacoustic Music Festival. It is a stereo digital audio work that features a single sound source modified by passing …
My latest composition, Reflections and Lore, for string quartet and piano, will be premiered by the combined forces of the Bechtler Ensemble and the Out of Bounds Ensemble on January 25, 2015 at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in Charlotte, NC USA. There will be a repeat performance at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, …
I have posted studio-rendered audio for all of my Test Pieces for Piano Book 1 on my audio page. Go to my audio page and scroll to solo instrumental works. There you will find separate links to renderings for all sixteen Test Pieces for Piano from book 1. Enjoy!
I have added seven studio renderings of my jazz lead sheets to my audio page. One tune, And on That Note, includes solos. The rest are renderings of the lead sheet only. Enjoy and spread the word!