I have always loved the ominous sky that happens before a big storm. The apprehension slowly builds as the clouds boil and the light turns a color you can’t quite describe. Finally, the release comes as the sky opens up and lightning crackles as rain and hail pound the earth. This piece was improvised on three analog synthesizers, allowing the rich sounds to blend, interact, and even distort when combined. Some effects were applied to the otherwise unedited recording, and the final result was mixed for surround sound.
This piece layers and blends two sonic worlds. The first comes from an analog semi-modular synthesizer that was patched to create a self-generating chaotic soundscape. The second layer was recorded live from an acoustic piano as the soundscape evolved. Improvised without a plan or structure, the piano responds to the soundscape in the form of a purely emotionally-driven musical free-verse, capturing a moment in time where frustrations and anxieties buzz ceaselessly like insects boring into your brain.
Caoimhín consists of several layers of sound that blend and merge into a soundscape. Each layer plays again and again such that the sonic material becomes familiar. However, each layer is a different length, so they fall out of sync with each other, creating new and evolving relationships as the piece continues.
A very ancient Irish Charm as documented by Lady Francesca Speranza Wilde, 1887.
June 17, 2017 Live performance of "The Reach" as part of the Composer Fellow's Initiative of CUNow at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Based on the short story by Stephen King, The Reach explores one woman’s journey in accepting her impending death.
Libretto and score available upon request.
The opera Dr. Atomic by John Adams portrays the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s struggle to come to terms with his direct involvement with the creation of the atomic bomb.
A Good Man explores morale uncertainty while indirectly contributing to war efforts, and is based on my own experience of working for a military lab.
Libretto and score available upon request.