famous for his deeds (2024) - 2 minutes
arrangement: SATB choir
famous for his deeds (2024) is about Beowulf. While searching for a text in the summer of 2024, I was totally captivated by the imagery of Grendel's lair, particularly the idea that “the water burns”. In my choral debut, I hoped to explore the tension between the beauty of the poetic form and Grendel's disturbing imagery. I would like to profusely thank members of the Walden School community, particularly Kari Francis, for premiering this piece at The Walden School YMP.
contrived corridors of the heart (2024) - 3 minutes
arrangement: string quartet
contrived corridors of the heart (2024) concerns the unique insecurity of young adulthood. Its frantic rhythms and reluctant resolutions convey the tumultuous sincerity of adolescence. I owe a debt of gratitude to the careful mentorship of Carlos Henrique Pereira, as well as members of Friction Quartet for premiering this piece at The Walden School YMP.
stars again (2023) - 4 minutes
arrangement: horn, percussion, violin, live electronics
stars again (2023) concerns the paradoxical difficulty I have falling asleep; namely, as the night passes, I grow less and less ready to rest. Ultimately, I hope stars again is a reflection on the necessity of optimism. No matter what we do, there will be a tomorrow. Erica Dicker, Kyra Sims, and Dennis Sullivan premiered stars again masterfully on a tight deadline. I will always be grateful for and humbled by their dedication to performance of student works.
happy place; for four musicians (2022) - 4 minutes
arrangement: bassoon, violin, live electronics
happy place (2022) explores the role of computers within an ensemble. Performers "collaborate" with a computer over the course of the piece, guiding its harmonic choices with the melodies they play. happy place's melodic material evokes calm and satisfaction, guiding listeners to a comforting final resonance. Thank you to Dana Jessen, Erica Dicker, and Alex Christie for their help premiering happy place.
every night i dream of tritones (2022) - 2 minutes
arrangement: violin, piano
every night i dream of tritones (2022) celebrates the delight music brings us. Slow musical breaths evolve into a vibrant harmonic texture, drawing the ear to the violin's soaring melodies and its energetic support from piano. Whenever I go to sleep, I think about how big the world is and how much music there must be. I hope you do, too! Thank you to Rachel Iba and Sabrina Lu for premiering this work.
the spiders are late (2021) - 3 minutes
arrangement: mezzo-soprano, electric guitar, drum set, live electronics
“RING RING RING,” the alarm blares. “Darn!”, I think, as my 8 legs convulse in the sunlight. This is the third time I’ve snoozed my alarm, and now I’m late for my very important meeting. With excruciating… read more