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For a person who fly fishes few things are more exciting than a strong hatch, the moment when adult insects emerge from their underwater nursery breaking through the surface tension to escape into an awaiting world. It's during this time when trout, who have been resting in the depths patiently, ascend to where the water unravels. It's during these brief moments when fly anglers join the fragile dance developing in the world around them.
Inside the Hatch was written specifically for flutist Linda Chatterton and pianist Matthew McCright for the Vox Novus Composers Voice Series.
Often described as the "switchboard" of the brain, the salience network is responsible for deciding where we direct our attention. It acts as a conductor or sorts, constantly directing between the internal world of our thoughts and the external demands of reality. It balances the noises of daily life to identify and address stimuli ranging from the dangerous to the gratifying.
Salience Network (2025) is from a series of piano character pieces that use a limited harmonic palette.
Now is Eternity is from a series of piano character pieces that use a limited harmonic palette. In this prelude, the harmonic rhythm is mapped to values from an infinity sequence created by Danish composer, Per No̷rgård (1932-2025). This sequence introduces shifts, generating moments of hesitation and disruption that challenge the linear perception of time.
The piece draws its title from a quote by the 19th-century conservationist and writer Richard Jefferies. Describing an experience where he felt a profound, timeless connection to nature's soul, he wrote, "...I cannot understand time. It is eternity now. I am in the midst of it." This prelude seeks to capture the feeling of that eternal, suspended, and timeless present where all moments seem to converge.
20 young children lost their lives at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. The senseless mass shooting impacted most of us at some level. For me, my son was the same age as the children who were taken from their families that day. Since then, I have marked his milestones with those children who were lost in 2012; school programs, first dance, driving. At times, even rather common experiences like hearing sounds of playing and laughter when I would pick up my son at his elementary school transported me back to that moment when I first learned of the horrific event.
Immediately after the shooting, parents of students who attended Sandy Hook Elementary School were directed to gather at the local firehouse, located just around the corner. With what was surely incredible relief for some, children trickled into the building and were reunited with their families. Little by little, those families, still whole, left the brick firehouse until only a small group of parents remained. This remaining group was ushered to the back of the firehouse, where hours later the governor of Connecticut entered the room to confirm their worst fears, that their children were not coming home.
The atmosphere enveloping the anguish of waiting for the families throughout that day is almost unimaginable to me. A spectrum of emotions that is indescribable, first watching the tearful reunification of other families all the while desperately clinging to hope for their own joyous reunion as they were ushered to the back of the firehouse.
Humanity lost that day, but through remembrance and communion, we seek peace and healing together.
IsoLoops, for two pianos-eight hands, was completed in 2020. Constructed with a limited harmonic language, IsoLoops is developed by layering isorhythms of varying duration and pitch scope. The interaction of these rhythmically independent isorhythmic layers create direction and shape in this composition.
Isorhythms are often associated with motets from the 14th and 15th century, but this feature can also be found in later western concert music as well as music from the Far East. Today, isorhythms are found in many types of music from concert to pop to film to video game. In the context of IsoLoops, an isorhythm is simply a repetitive rhythmic pattern and an independent repeating pitch pattern. In this composition, these various patterns of different length loop throughout the work, realigning with different voices and propelling the music incessantly forward.
…apprehension of the eternal will was written in 2017. The title is taken from Rabindranath Tagore's essay "The Relation of the Individual to the Universe" from Sadhana (1915), and was inspired by his work as well as Pope Francis' encyclical, "Laudato Si," written one hundred years later. Like Pope Francis' disquisition, the topic of Tagore's work is ostensibly a warning about the disconnect between humanity and nature; however, also like Pope Francis' work, Tagore's essay more covertly confronts the larger topic of humanity's syzygy to the spirit, to the divine, to the infinite, and to each other.
Throughout this piano work, a struggle exists to find congruence between a prescribed infinite series and an intuitive musical construction. The purpose is not to accentuate differences or examine a relationship built upon isolation, but instead to observe and respect the kinship established by growing with, growing into, and nourishing each other.
"Football is like life -- it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work,
sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority." – Vince Lombardi
Smash Mouth Offense was written in 2016. It utilizes a limited harmonic language originated from a nine-note scale. Despite hitting barrier after barrier, the music incessantly continues to, as coach Lombardi would say, "run to daylight."
ad fundum is a solo snare drum piece that explores the connections between solo concert and rudiment techniques. It was composed in 2013.
The dark Goddess gathers
all Her fallen blossoms
unto the warm earth
to await new birth.
Poem by Raven Hail
Winter Solstice
©1994 Raven Hail
All Rights Reserved
used with permission
Written for the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra in residence at Lewis University, Lewis Fanfare was completed August 2004.
Kreutzer Fantasy for violin, cello, and piano was inspired by Janacek's String Quartet No. 1-Kreutzer Sonata. Janacek's
composition was inspired by Tolstoy's eponymous novella which in turn was inspired by Beethoven's sonata for violin and piano. While composing this work, I rediscovered Janacek's quartet and was amazed by his capacity for juxtaposing
disparate musical ideas to create a dramatic work of art. Kreutzer Fantasy presents three distinct musical characters who struggle to define their identity.
Because this work has a limited harmonic vocabulary, it exploits contrasts of dynamics and rhythm. Although not entirely monothematic, Kreutzer Fantasy builds upon my recent compositional explorations that conserve musical materials and create a dramatic musical structure. Kreutzer Fantasy was completed in 2004.
Improvisation for Violoncello and Percussionists: a study in moment form was written for my 2004 Theory 4 class at Lewis University. I composed the work to enhance the visit of William Jason Raynovich, a fantastic composer, cellist, and promoter of new music. Jason is an expert in 20th century improvisation, and this composition was written to allow my theory 4 class and him collaborate in the musical world. It premiered in January, 2004 at Lewis University.
Conversation 2 for solo vibraphone is the second in a series of short pieces for solo instruments. These works represent how, at times, I deal with personal, professional, and compositional problems. As I search for answers, I generally have a series of conversations with myself, where I try to argue two opposing answers. Slowly, I begin to reconcile these differences until I reach the conclusion. Conversation 2 begins by stating two opposing points of view that, in the end, more or less reconcile.
Insistent Disturbances was representative of my compositional process at the time of completion. In this work, I began with a global plan that defined a musical shape and then immediately developed pitch material to support my original global perspective. But as I developed local level material, I began to modify the overall structure of the work. In other words, these two opposite approaches give and take for the sake of drama.
While composing this work, I was overwhelmed by the amount of tribulation in the world. Like many people, I often feel like an outside observer of events that directly impact my life, and (as in the creative process) these events generate a struggle between my affective and cognitive minds. Just when I begin reconcile these two forces, another dramatic event occurs in the world, and the human process begins all over again.
Insistent Disturbances was written in 2003.
Rainbow Magnetic Spinning Wheel uses limited pitch and rhythmic material to support a wide variance of color. Even during extreme changes in texture and shape, the original musical material is always being drawn back to the foreground. This composition was written in 2003 and dedicated to Anne McFerron.
Views for Piano consists of three movements and two short intermedii. The
intermedio developed in the Renaissance and continued throughout the Baroque era.
They were generally very short, and their character was lighthearted in nature.
Similar to the English Masque, they were inserted between the acts of plays, and
they consisted of short events from presentations of purely instrumental music to
elaborate staged productions . The spirit of the brief episodes in Views for
Piano is consistent with intermedii found in Renaissance plays and Baroque opera.
That is, they provide the listener with relief from the intensity of the drama.
Except for some of the harmonic language, they are not related to the larger
movements.
Views for Piano explores the compositional approach of "conservation of means," and it further investigates my interest in finding a median between the
compositional processes of working "outside-in" and working "inside-out." Although this work is not monothematic, each of the movements can be traced backto four pitches. In the first movement, Introspection, material is presented indiffering environments. Tempo in this movement changes often through rhythmic modulation, and the sense of a steady beat does not last very long. Loss of Innocence best represents the idea of "conservation of means." Through the use of a few sonorities and a pedal point, a musical shape is sculpted. In the final movement, Through an Interstice, material from Introspection and Loss of Innocence coalesce, and is the clearest demonstration of the compositional processes used in the work.
Without the generous support of The MacDowell Colony, this composition would not
have been possible.
Two Images was commissioned by Dmitry Sumarokovam for a multimedia production in Latvia. The production, a mixture of music, dance, theatre, and art, is based upon mythological character who is a blend of Goethe's Faust, Dickinson's "Scrooge," and "Johnny" from the Charlie Daniel's song, A Devil went Down to Georgia--it's rather complicated, so never mind. My goal was to create a work that would not cause an international incident, and also one that could stand on its own merit.
I have felt that, at times, my compositional process serves a therapeutic purpose
that attempts to answer questions about my experiences. In 1997, Robert Cooper
who was a dear teacher of mine suddenly passed away.
Recently, I was struck once again with the emotions of this passing. After three
years, I recently realized once again how important his life was to me. Although
this is the first composition that has a reflective quality, this work for flute,
oboe, clarinet, and cello is my third composition that is dedicated to Robert.
Robert was very interested in experimentation for the individual. From my
perspective, he was not as concerned that I (or any other composer) should
experiment in music for "music's sake," but experimentation for the benefit of
the composer. Although subtle, I think it is important to distinguish between
these two views because it insures a very personal attachment to one's music. I
continue to explore the definitions of melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, and
medium for myself in every piece I write. I must admit that the compositional
ideas in Experience 3 are not revolutionary ideas; however, these ideas represent
a discovery process and my exploration for beauty in music. Simply, this work
and every work, is a direct reflection of my time with Robert.
Hamburger Pattie Machine, for clarinet, violin, and cello, was written for the Chamber Music Conference and Composers' Forum of the East.
Conversation for solo flute represents how, at times, I deal with personal, professional, and compositional problems. As I search for answers, I generally have a series of conversations with myself, where I try to argue two opposing answers. Slowly, I begin to reconcile these differences until I reach the conclusion. Conversation begins by stating two opposing points of view that, in the end, more or less reconcile.
Trio Divergent is a compositional study in perpetual motion. It was written in 1999.
Three Short Pieces for Six Players, written for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, percussion, and piano, was completed in the spring of 1999. Special thanks to Dr. Reynold Simpson, Michael Isadore, and Musica Nova for whom this piece is dedicated. As in recent works, these short pieces explore my interest in "hard, loud, and fast" music, how instrumental "personalities" interact with one another, and the development of high vs. low motives. These pieces should be performed consecutively without interruption.
These little preludes were written in Kansas City, MO from 1998-1999. Although
unrelated to one another, these pieces represent the compositional process of
"working out" ideas (discoveries), conversations (for Joe), and frustrations
(Figaro's Whore).
For me, Discoveries is a study in my compositional process where global ideas
(shapes) precede local ideas (motivic) at conception. In my mind, this is analogous
of a sculptor determining the shape of a sculpture before determining the materials
that will be used.
For Joe is directly inspired by a series of conversations I had with a very
close friend who is also a composer. Although our musical language is completely
different, we are generally trying to say the same things.
Figaro's Whore is a direct reaction to the frustration of dealing with academic
procedures. At times, I feel like I must put things back into perspective for myself.
Three Preludes is dedicated to pianist Janet Fetterman.
Music for Flute Violin and Piano was completed in Kansas City, Missouri in the spring of 1998. The music explores many relationships of three characters. For example, at certain times two instruments share common material and one character speaks independently; however, there are also moments when all three characters are
allowed to speak their own independent voice. These characters are delineated by
a number of elements including harmony, rhythm, timbre, or tessitura. Music for
Flute Violin and Piano follows the compositional process in my recent music which
explores the creation of a composition from the ëoutside in.í This process is
analogous to a sculptor who determines the shape of a sculpture before deciding
on what materials will be used. For ëoutside iní process in Music for
Flute Violin and Piano, I first determined the form and shape of the composition, as opposed to developing a melodic or pitch idea to create a shape.
This work is dedicated to Tom and Elizabeth Clement in celebration of their
wedding.
Composer, Robert Cooper, had a profound influence on me and my music. As his composition student, I believe I took a little bit of "musical personality" from all of my teachers. Under Robert's tutelage, I began to further explore my concept of sound and experimentation. Robert was very interested in experimentation for the individual. From my perspective, he was not as concerned that I (or any other composer) should experiment in music for "music's sake," but experimentation for the benefit of the composer. Although subtle, I think it is important to distinguish between these two views because it insures a very personal attachment to one's music. Because I studied with him, I continue to explore the definitions of melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, and medium for myself in every piece I write. I must admit that the compositional ideas in "Experience I" are not revolutionary ideas; however, these ideas represent a discovery process and my exploration for beauty in music. Simply, this work and every work, is a direct reflection of my time with Robert as his student. Sadly, Robert suddenly passed away in 1997.
Music for Viola and Piano was written in 1997. The music explores the relationships of two musical characters. At times, these characters are delineated by any number of elements including harmony, rhythm, timbre, or tessitura. At certain times two instruments share common material and one character speaks independently. On a global scale, the work is delineated by four movements. All of the movements are constructed of very similar shapes, and movements two through four are shorter in length than the movement which precedes them resulting in a "telescoped" form.
Red Earth, a work for mixed instrumental ensemble, is constructed of two movements that may be performed together or independently. Although these movements share commonalities associated with traditional multi-movement works, each movement, due to its structure, provides the listener with a sense of completion. I made no attempt to adhere to a specific traditional form in either of these movements. Instead, by distancing myself from the work as a composer and assuming the role of audience member, I was able to create forms and shapes that I find satisfying as a listener. Examples of techniques used to generate these shapes include written out accelerandi and ritardandi in melodic fragments, decreased or increased time intervals between entrances of an instrument or instruments, and manipulated tessiture of instruments in different directions. The main commonalities that these movements share can be classified as thematic and rhythmic. For example, the primary theme in the second movement is derived from the second theme of the first movement. Also, both movements rely heavily on several ostinati to provide motion that is constantly moving forward, to create a surface for the main melodies to work with and against, and to supply the listener with multiple layers. Red Earth is simply an expression and observation of my search for beauty in this world. If these emotions could be written in any other language, I would not have had to write this music.
"Along the banks of purling streams, beneath the shadows of umbrageous trees, or in the secluded nooks of charming lakes, they have ever been found, drinking deep of the invigorating forces of nature—giving rest and tone to over-taxed brains and wearied nerves—while gracefully wielding the supple rod, the invisible leader, and the fairylike fly."
– Dr. James A. Hensall (1836-1925)
Taking its name from the book by Malcom Gladwell, Tipping Point seeks to identify the moment when something arrives, spreads, and becomes memorable. This work for baritone saxophone and virtual reality performer was written for Dr. Adrianne Honnold in 2022, and utilizes the SolticeVR software written by Dr. Roy Magnuson.
e e cummings' poem "I(a" (a leaf falls on loneliness) is one of his most fascinating and captivating works. Even though it is composed of just a few words, it is a powerful work with deep meaning. The brevity and formatting of the text often creates a sense of emptiness and absence in the reader. The paradox of the poem's incomplete phrasal structure serves as a profound comment on the fundamentally complete arc of the finite human experience: birth, life, death.
a leaf falls on loneliness for virtual reality vocalist is realized through the solsticeVR composition application, created by composer, Roy Magnuson. All sonic elements are created in real-time by the vocalist and processed through this application. The video provides a window into the virtual world and the poem is visually transformed on the screen by the audio generated. This composition was completed at Lewis University in 2021 and was made possible by a generous Lewis University Faculty Scholar Award.
"Der Wechsel allein ist das Beständige" (Change alone is constant)
– Arthur Schopenhauer
Myopic Phantasy for mobile device trio was written in 2019. The foundation for this work is the opening lines of Edgar Allan Poe's short story, "The Fall of the House of Usher," whose narrator describes a feeling of "insufferable gloom" upon seeing the titular house and its decayed surroundings. The reader understands this description as a prediction of what is to come as the narrator descends to the House of Usher.
Many composers, from Debussy to Philip Glass, have produced music inspired by Poe's famous text, and for good reason. In it, the reader is confronted with quintessential Gothic themes, magnificently rendered: psychosis, metaphysics, human decay (physical and moral), and the strong tether of family. But perhaps the two themes that most elicit dread are isolation and captivity•being alone, captive to a sibling, captive to a house, captive to a sick mind. The terror and horror of this story may be that readers, through the eyes of Poe's narrator, begin to imagine themselves isolated and trapped by their circumstances. It is upon these themes that Myopic Phantasy is built.
Voltage of this Night for fixed media was written in 2018. This work is the result of a collaboration between Simone Muench (poet), Keith White (actor), and myself for the Lewis University "Celebration of Scholarship" program.
"We must talk about poverty, because people insulated by their own comfort lose sight of it." Dorothy Day
If You Walked a Mile for marimba and computer was written in 2015 for acclaimed percussionist, Andrew Spencer. Texts in this work are excerpted from George Miller's eponymous social justice poem, which was written specifically for this composition.
At times I simply have to reach into my "toolbox" and construct a composition. But, there are other times when I get to try something new; or at least "new" to me. These short studies are such pieces. In each case, these one minute "experiments" led me to more substantial pieces, and more important, they added additional tools to my toolbox.
Written in 2014, 1S->2S Transitions is a concert meditation for iPhone octet and computer. 1S->2S Transitions refers to the quantum mechanical phenomena by which a photon causes orbital shifts in atomic electrons. Acceptance that these shifts of matter exist in space between orbits led to the understanding that something can be both particle and waveform simultaneously.
X Marks the Sirens was written for and dedicated to mezzo-soprano, Katherine Crawford. This composition was completed in my home studio in July, 2013.
My heartfelt thanks to acclaimed poet and my colleague, Jackie White, for supplying a beautiful text.
Mike McFerron with Alice Brown after the performance of X Marks the Sirens at the 2014 2014 Electronic Music Midwest Invitational mini-Festival
Meditatio Synzygia is a concert meditation that peers through the intersections where science and art meet. From the ancient Greek, "suzugos" meaning "yoked together", syzygy has been referred to as a "union of opposites." In this fixed media electroacoustic composition, the similarities that bind seemingly opposite elements are examined; consonance and dissonance, drone and chime, sound and image, human intuition and algorithmic process, temporal time and musical time, physical and spiritual.
Abandoning a Western traditional 12-step division of the octave, Meditatio Synzygia divides the octave into 672 equal steps. In this composition, the audience hears each of these steps within the octave, and each chime progressively and systematically appears sooner than the previous chime, creating a telescoped dramatic musical shape. At the heart of this microtonal work is a transmogrifying drone, a textural pantina surface on which 672 distinct chimes blot.
Open Circuit was written for flutist, Rebecca Ashe, in celebration of Electronic Music Midwest's 10th Anniversary. This composition wascompleted at the Ucross Foundation Artist Residency in Wyoming, August 2010.
An Interrupted Memory was written in 2009-2010 for Lewis University "Art of Memory" Series. All of the sound sources for this work were taken from five recordings, each two-minutes in length. These audio clips were recorded simultaneously at five different locations on the campus of Lewis University in the fall of 2009. An Interrupted Memory attempts to capture and sustain two minutes of the soundscape of Lewis University on that day at that time.
Canotila, according to Lokota Native American lore, are spirits that live in trees.
Lee Hartman
KCMetropolis.org (October 2011)
Shape Study: Music for Metamorphoses for fixed media was written at the end of 2008 for the Lewis University Theater Department production of Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses. An adaptation of Ovid's eponymous narrative poem, this production of Zimmeraman's play was directed by Dr. Kevin Trudeau. Although the composition is, on one hand, intended to serve as a prelude to the production of this play, it is also hoped that the work stands by itself as an independent electroacoustic composition.
Structurally, this composition reduces the distances between traditional foreground, middleground, and background musical layers, thus clouding these dimensions. Yet at the same time, this work strives to present a clear and logical dramatic shape by assembling spectral, dynamic, and spatial elements.
Prelude to You Brought This On Yourself is the result of the collaborative production of a play by my colleague at Lewis University, George Miller. In his play, Dr. Miller sets in context the true story of a young female high school student who suffered enormous ridicule and even physical assault for the sole reason that she was openly homosexual. The principal of the High School where this occurred justified the assault by explaining to the parents, "she brought this on herself."
This composition is not a commentary on religion, media, politics, or homosexuality. It is not an attempt to glorify, condone, or condemn homosexuality. Instead, this work attempts to comment on a human collective intolerant of an individual's voice, who is not asking to be understood or even heard, but simply allowed to exist.
Written in 2008, this fixed media composition feature singer Jillian Kelm.
For me, this one-minute composition, written for Vox Novus' 60x60 project, is an attempt to capture just a small fraction of the excitement and fascination that my two-year old has with trains. Where is the train coming from? Imagine where it's going! Or maybe, we just like the sounds it makes.
Dedicated to my son, Henry, the title of this work is inspired by just some his favorite pronunciations of the word "train."
Dinadanvtli ("My Brother") was written in 2006 for Rob Voisey to be included on a special Vox Novus 60x60 project.
Bruce Bennett
Computer Music Journal
John Heuertz
The Kansas City Star
"Kai estin au mousike peri harmonian kai rythmon eroticon epistime..."
(And music, in turn, is knowledge of harmony and rhythm of love)
PLATO
Torrid Mix was written in 2006. The electroacoustic tape part was created entirely by manipulating piano and voice samples. This work is written and dedicated to pianist GÉNIA: Website.
Written for London based pianist GÉNIA who is featured on the recording.
Minute Distances was composed in 2005 for the Vox Novus 60X60 project and is 59.721 seconds long. The structure of this work is based upon an iso-rhythm that reduces bit by bit during each repeat. The work was realized entirely using Csound, and it uses only samples of a marimba as its sound source. The marimba samples are at time slightly modified; however, throughout the work, the essense of the marimba remains. Minute Distances is representative of my interest in textural shape, spatialization, balancing macro and micro composition processes, and mono-thematicism.
Lane Koivu
What's Up! Magazine
Larry Austin
Computer Music Journal, Vol.29 Issue 4
"The more precisely the position is determined, the less precisely the momentum is known in this instant, and vice versa." -Werner Heisenberg, 1927.
Heisenberg is known today as the father of Quantum Mechanics, and especially for Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle (HUP) which states that the more you know about the position of a subatomic particle, the less you know about its momentum. Conversely to some certainty, you may be able to know the momentum of a particle, but you will not be able to predict its position despite the sophistication of present or future measurement technologies.
Some may see that HUP is analogous to the perception of music. As listeners, once we analyze sound events, we take them out of time. We are aware of the sound, but not its context at a given moment. Even though Heisenberg won the 1932 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in quantum mechanics, most of his close friends would probably have noted his facility at the piano.
ΔpΔx ≥ h/4Πis composed using only piano samples. This composition was completed in my home studio in Lockport, Illinois, 2004. Respectfully, this work is dedicated to my colleague Dr. Leonard Weisenthal: educator, physicist, and listener.
Andrew May, SEAMUS Journal Vol. 18 No. 1
9.17.2003 grew out of the idea that one of the primary characteristics of art is that it compresses a large-scale topic into a manageable space, whether that space is physical or time-based. That is, artists begin with a large subject and reduce it to a manageable form. In music, composers address a number of subjects rom memorials to rituals to the absolute. The one thing that unites music is that it almost inevitably at its roots comments on something larger than itself.
Whether it's music, painting, sculpture, or drama, artists use the tool of conservation of means to make a grand comment. For this composition, I invited the Lewis University community to contribute to my orchestra of sounds. I placed a microphone in a busy hallway at Lewis University and recorded sounds for 24 continuous hours. Using the electronic music labs at Lewis University, I created a composition using only the sounds recorded during that 24 hour period. For me, this reflects the attitudes, emotions, and interactions of this day--a summary, or a composition that documents September 17, 2003 at Lewis University.
Dos Paisajes for amplified violin and tape was written during my residency at the MacDowell Colony, and was written for violinist Jes˙s Florido. The fixed media part was created by manipulating a limited number of violin samples. Dos Paisajes is delineated into two opposing musical ideas, one that is ordered by me, and one where the performer must improvise. These two "landscapes" coalesce to form the unified whole.
the recording above features violinist, Katie McLin.
Retrospection was commissioned by Dmitry Sumarokovam for a multimedia production in Latvia. The production, a mixture of music, dance, theatre, and art, is based upon mythological character who is a blend of Goethe's Faust, Dickinson's"Scrooge," and "Johnny" from the Charlie Daniel's song, A Devil went Down to Georgia--it's rather complicated, so never mind. My goal was to create a workthat would not cause an international incident, and also one that could stand onits own merit. On a more technical level, this work is built entirely from ahandful of violin samples and violin excerpts from famous compositions thathighlight the violin. All of the samples were manipulated and mixed using Csound on a Macintosh computer in the Electronic Music Studio at Lewis University.
Stationary Fronts was written in 1999 at my home studio in Kansas City, MO. This work explores my interest in "hard, loud, and fast" music and the relationship between two seemingly opposing forces. The tape part for Stationary Fronts was created entirely using recorded samples of a flute session with Thomas Clement. Samples were manipulated, sequenced, and mixed using Csound.
Stationary Fronts is dedicated to flutist Thomas Clement.
Music to Accompany "Plaid is 2% Truth-#2" is entirely rooted in the importance of the creative process. My process was based on the same process Kaleb Bowman used while creating a particular painting titled "Plaid is 2% Truth - #2." In this work, I conceived a global shape and worked towards control over local level issues. In essence, the sum for me is greater than its parts. Just as Kaleb's painting started with limited palette of colors, my composition utilized onlythree recorded samples which were manipulated in Csound. The composition was mixed at my home studio in Kansas City, Missouri in 1999.
This work for piano and tape was written specifically for Stephan Casurella.
Stephan is one the finest pianist I have ever had the honor of working with. In
this work, I concerned myself with drawing on the performer's strengths, while
still challenging the performer's technique to fall in line with my own
aesthetic. Stephan, who is also a very fine composer, is a major contributer to
this work. His participation in the creation of Stratum insured a truly
collaborative piece of music for which I am very proud.
On a technical level, the piano writing explores multiple layers of the register
and rhythm. Also, I focused on sharp contrasts in dynamics, and on the
exploitation of two pitch set-classes that interest me. Every sound in the tape
part is derived from a recording session which involved Stephan and myself. The
entire tape part, including mixing, was created using these samples and realized
with CSound on a Macintosh computer. The tape part makes use of
more ambient sounds at times when the piano is more active, and makes use of
motion when the piano is more static.
Special thanks to Dr. Robert L. Cooper for his technical and musical assistance.
Chasm was written to exploit the possibilities of the stereo field and the environment that this exploitation creates. This work for fixed media strives to creates an environment for the listener that, at present, is unattainable in acoustic music. Every element of Chasm was created in a digital environment. At its genesis, this work was conceived using various synthesis techniques in CSound and manipulated with various computer programs available in the MPACTcenter at the Conservatory of Music-University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1995.
1. What is in a Wind Sound
What is in a wind sound and The clouds were piling by Aiden Levy. Used with permission. ©2020 by poet - All Rights Reserved
Abide With Me was written specifically with the diversity of church music resources in mind. During this work, the choir sings an original musical setting of the text. Inspired by Luke 24:29, Henry Francis Lyte's text is appropriate for any occasion celebrating God's steadfast love including, but not limited to, funerals, memorial services, Easter vigil, and New Year's Eve. Even though this was originally intended for a church service, directors may also include this work on any choir concert.
Abide with me: fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
I need your presence every passing hour.
What but your grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who like yourself my guide and strength can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.
Hold now your Word before my closing eyes.
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven's morning breaks and earth's vain shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
Be Thou My Vision was written specifically with the diversity of church music resources in mind. During this work, the choir sings an original musical setting of the text. Near the end, a minister is asked to say a few words to the congregation and then invite all in attendance to sing the well-known hymn. Even though this was originally intended for a church service, directors may also include this work on any choir concert.
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Commissioned by the Park City Community Church, this setting of the traditional hymntext "Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies" is very accessible work for the singers and audience. This is the first in a series of choral works that celebrate traditional hymns. Two versions of this work are available: The original scored for SATB, piano, and brass quartet and a version for SATB and organ.
Selected for the Vox Novus "15 Minutes of Fame" project, Ceremony is a one-minute meditation written for acclaimed baritone, Andrew White.
The legend of Tristan and Isolde has enchanted audiences since the twelfth century and continues to inspire. This epic story of passionate love flourished across Europe with notable versions in English, Celtic, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Norse, Icelandic, and Byelorussian. The legend has been subject to significant variations, with new or embellished episodes creating distinctive dramatic, thematic, and psychological motifs.
The story addresses some of life's most fundamental questions: what is the nature of desire, and what governs its selection; and what is the role of individual and free will in relation to such social structures as the State and the Church? Many treatments of the Tristan saga feature characters who mirror the passions of the central couple: the knights Palamedes and Kaherdin fall desperately in love with Isolde; Tristan himself marries another woman (also named Isolde) so that he might better understand what it means to love while married to another; and later versions intertwine the lovers' adventures with those of Lancelot, Guinevere and King Arthur who mirror the adulterous passion, heroic striving, and torn loyalties central to the legend.
Loving Is emerges from an exploration of Tristan going mad with violent jealousy, a tradition found in the French Prose Tristan and elsewhere. As he does so, he faces vexing questions of faith and fidelity: what does one know, how does one know it, and how does one live with doubt? This leads Tristan to his own version of a Grail quest as he seeks to understand the i am, or mystery of being that underlies all things.
Loving Is was written for the Remarkable Theater Brigade 2011 Opera Shorts Program.
Commissioned by the Chicago Composers Forum 2005 Abelson Vocal Music Commission Program, Two Songs on E.E. Cummings was written for Julia Bentley and Mark Sudeith.
Although this composition is in two movements, each song may be presented independently.
"NIGHT," and "the moon looked into my window" from COMPLETE POEMS:1904-1962, by E.E. Cummings, Edited by George J. Firmage, are used withthe permission of Liveright Publishing Corporation. Copyright (c) 1926,1954, 1973, 1991 by the Trustees for the E.E. Cummings Trust. Copyright(c) 1985 by George James Firmage.
Commissioned by the Lewis University Choir, this setting of the Nunc Dimittis is very accessible work for the singers and audience. This text is appropriate year around as it is one of the two canticles of the evening service.
Translastion
The text of this motet has a long history in the church as well as in concert settings. It has been set by composers such as Tchaikovsky, Ippoloitov-Ivanov, Bortniansky, and Grechaninov. Generally associated with eastern orthodox liturgies, The Cherubic Hymn is sung at the pivotal moment in the Divine Liturgy in Orthodox Churches. It represents the blending of the worship of the Earthly Church with the Heavenly worship as described in the biblical book of The Revelation of St. John. The text also exists in the Roman Catholic tradition as part of the feast of St. Dennis. This composition is written for and dedicated to the Lewis University Choir.
The Sobbing of the Bells for SATB and piano was written in 2004.
Text from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman (1819-1892)
Journey to Sekhet-Aanru: Four Ancient Egyptian Magic Rituals for Male Voices was written for Cantus. This work was commissioned by Cantus through Community Partners, which is underwritten by the
American Composers Forum with funds provided by The Katherine B. Anderson Fund of The Saint Paul Foundation. This work was premiered by Cantus.
Journey to Sekhet-Aanru grew out of a collaborative effort between Cantus and
me. This work was written for Cantus' Myth, Magic, and Legend concert series (2003).
It creates a dramatic environment where audience members witness an ancient Egyptian burial ceremony. They travel with Anubis--a
canine-headed god who guides the dead through the underworld on the journey to Sekhet-Aanru (The ancient Egyptian semi-equivalent place to our heaven). While in the underworld, the dead face trials and tests. This composition is set from the perspective of Egyptian priests who administer spells during the ritual.
This composition contains four rituals.
I. Processional
An hommage to the main Egyptian gods, Tem Herushuti and Hathor.
The first movement serves as a call to service.
II. The Key to the 15th Gate of the Underworld
Before the dead may enter the underworld, they must first pass through several
"pylons", or gates. This spell is for the 15th pylon.
III. Spell to Keep Your Heart from Being Stolen
Probably the most recognized section of the journey through the underworld occurs when the dead must weigh their hearts against a feather. In this trial, gods are told what the dead person did, and as important, what the dead person did not do. After this,
the heart of the dead is weighed against the "feather of truth." If the heart was heavier than the feather, that meant then the person would die a second death which was forever. If the heart was lighter than the feather the person would go on to Sekhet-Aanru.
IV. The Arrival
This movement is a song of celebration. The soul has successfully passed through the underworld and is now gazing at Sekhet-Aanru.
This movement also gives thanks to the Egyptian god, RA.
Throughout the work, Anubis periodically uses the priests as a vessel to make his presence perceived.
At times, Anubis
appears in one priest, and at other times in many. The "Anubis Theme" is heard
throughout--it is this theme that binds the four movements together.
Translation
I. Processional
Hommage to thee,
O thou glorious being,
The endowed Tem Herushuti,
You rise in the horizon of heaven
And from the mouths of all people comes a joyful cry.
Beautiful one,
Becoming young in the palm of the hand,
Of the mother, Hathor,
Rising therefore in the place,
Of every expanded heart for ever and ever.
May he be victorious in the underworld.
The sektet boat comes closer,
It arrives...
II. The Key to the 15th Gate of the Underworld
The terrible souls who judge,
Who emerge at night,
Who shackle the demon in his lair,
May they be given two hands of the still heart
And make them come forth,
For they judge the sins of the dead.
III. Spell to Keep Your Heart from Being Stolen
My heart is with me, and it will not be taken away.
I am the lord of the hearts that commands the heart,
Because I am moral, I exist in the heart.
My heart will not be taken away from me,
Let it not be harmed,
I will not be harmed.
Homage to thee, my heart!
Homage to thee, its soul.
Homage to the, gods who rule
The divine clouds.
IV. The Arrival
In Sekhet-Aanru,
Let me have power,
Let me be strong,
So that I can plough there.
Let me harvest,
And let me eat and drink there,
As it is done on earth,
Yet in the protection of Anubis.
I have come to thee,
My lord RA,
In Sekhet-Aanru
Translation and transliteration (found in score) adapted by the composer primarily from the 1888 edition of The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Papyrus of ANI by E.A. Wallis Budge. Music, translation and Transliteration ©2003 by Red Earth Publishing. All Rights Reserved.
Bonitas Domini was written for Lawrence Sisk and the Lewis University
Choir. This work was intended for inclusion in a performance which included
Palestrina's Missa Aeterna Christi munera. Bonitas Domini is the Offertory, one of the Propers, for the feast of St. Joseph the worker. This work explores many of my interests in choral music. More notably is the contrasts in the
color of vowels, contrasts in the attacks of consonants, vocal percussion, and
the comparative timbre of vocal sections.
This work was written as a companion piece to Alleluia: De quacumque tribulatione, a choral piece written for the same occasion.
From the Graduale
Offertory for the feast of St. Joseph the worker
May the goodness of the Lord be upon us and favor the works of our hands. Alleluia.
Translation of original Latin by Lawrence T. Sisk
Alleluia: De quacumque tribulatione was written for Lawrence Sisk and the LewisUniversity Choir. This work was intended for inclusion in a performance which included Palestrina's Missa Aeterna Christi munera. Alleluia: De quacumque tribulationeis the first Alleluia, one of the Propers, for the feast of St.Joseph the worker. As in many of my compositions, rhythm plays a prominent role. In this work, the rhythmic organization is not metrical, but instead it is basedupon phrases. This work also explores many of my interests in choral music. More notably is the contrasts in the color of vowels, episodes of indeterminacy,and the comparative timbre of vocal sections.
This work was written as a companion piece to Bonitas Domini, a choral piecewritten for the same occasion.
From the Graduale
1st Alleluia for the feast of St. Joseph the worker
Out of whatever tribulations they may have called to me, I have heard them, and I shall always be their protector.
Translation of original Latin
by Lawrence T. Sisk
Lawrence Sisk
Music Director
The Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra
Joe Rogers
Brooklyn, New York - 2002
Mike McFerron
Lockport, Illinois - 2002
Andrew Adler
The Courier-Journal