What if… (2018)
Symphonic Orchistra
This piece is a panic attack. After suffering from anxiety and panic disorder for many years I finally decided to sit down and write a large scale work that attempted to encapsulate what I have been feeling for so long. The work is centered around the sound of the bass drum, pulsing as a heart beat. From this heart beat I attempted to recreate physical sensations of a panic attack as well as the mental stimulations.
Solo For B-Flat Clarinet (2017)
B-Flat Clarinet
This work was written around the frustration of practice. The solo clarinet starts off, as we all should, with long tones. The music then begins to explore the contrast between a more tradition classical musical style and the more contemporary musical styles we find in today’s music.
Shall We Behold (2017)
SSA Choir
The text for this piece is taken from the poem Think of our Country's Glory by Elizabeth Margaret Chandler. Elizabeth Margaret Chandler was a white American writer from the 1800s. She became the first female writer in the United States to use the abolition of slavery as her principal topic of writing. Just like in the 1800s, there is a divide in our country today. We are plagued by the suffering of minorities and the oppression of their voices. Can we be great if we ignore those of us who suffer?
Peace (2017)
Baritone Voice and Piano
When read alone, the poem Peace by Sara Teasdale gives you the impression of someone finding peace. In my experience, the feeling of peace is not found so easily. It is in a constant state of flux. As a person who deals with my own mental struggles on a daily basis, the search for peace of mind is a constant battle. This work does not reflect the thoughts of a person finding peace, but the intense desire for peace to be found.
Food of Love (2014)
Soprano Voice and Piano
I looked to Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice, for inspiration for this piece. The text found in the novel is a discussion between two characters about poetry and love. In this work the vocalist is alone having this discussion with themself. The music transitions from a positive, almost naive, perspective about poetry and romance to a sceptic perspective about the effectiveness of words when there are no true feelings behind them.
