MUSIC
Here, you will find some of my feature compositions, written over the past six years. Audio and score examples are provided when possible. If you would like a copy of the score, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
SOLO GUITAR //
Written in 2018, Autodissent was made when I began contemplating what I find important in composition and music in general. Some things I explore are dynamics, touch, contrast, and colour. By setting aside the importance of notes and rhythm (although all notated), the listener can focus on these often less noticeable qualities.
Eastern Phoebe, written in 2014 is in the style of the 2nd Viennese School of composers. Specifically, I was exploring the possibilities of writing within a shorter time frame, and Anton Webern often did, using a single idea to develop a succinct musical statement.
DUOS //
Morning at the Window and Eyes that Last I Saw in Tears are two of the T.S. Eliot poems to which I have written accompanying music and melody. Eliot played an important role early on in my artistic career, providing a point of entry to modern and post-modern eclecticisms.
This piece is one of three I included on my final EP project at Humber College. This piece is meant to demonstrate some technical challenges on the guitar, specifically, fingerpicking in a non-classical or folk setting. It was also written for one of my greatest inspirations on the guitar, Ben Monder.
Samples of the scores for the second and third T.S. Eliot poem, written for Voice and Guitar.
CHAMBER //
Poem is another piece from my EP project at Humber College. The music is composed around a translation of a Japanese poem, done by Ezra Pound. It marks the my musical development as my interests shifted from Jazz, to more classical based works, especially those of Igor Stravinsky, and Arnold Shönberg.
Digital Coincidences explores improvisations of 3 separate musicians during the pandemic. Each part was recorded separately and then edited together. This piece was created in part to explore how the listener imposes meaning and connections into sounds they hear, when those meanings and connections were not planned.
The Hide of Nessus was written for the Quartetto Zuena in Italy for the highScore Festival in 2022. It explores the timbres and colours of the cello as a resonant object, especially in the higher frequency ranges. To achieve these sounds, many extended techniques are used, such as bowing the bridge, tailpiece, and left hand pizzicato.
Below, the Boarhound and the Boar is written for Trumpet, Cello, Percussion, and Electronics. In it I explore controlling the listener's perception of time through density and sonic activity. Much of the musical material is based on the pitch content contained in the gongs used by the percussionist. It was written in partial fulfillment of my Master's Degree in Composition.
IMPROVISED //
w.RivEr.ST & nimbi is a piece for saxophone quartet that explores multiphonics and gradual change. The piece is meditative and static in the macro while always changing at the micro level, just as rivers and clouds do. The imagery and title of the piece are inspired by the landscape of the Canadian prairies.
Field Men (2019), is a set of improvisational instructions that can be played by any musician. This is but one iteration: clarinet and electric guitar. It is also intended to be a long improvisation, giving time to the musicians to explore the possible developments of the motifs.
This piece for jazz ensemble, is played from a graphic score. The contour of the piece mimics the psychological development of Ivan Karamazov in a chapter of Dostoevsky's famous work, The Brothers Karamazov. Note the knocking on the door at the end of the piece that wakes Ivan out of his struggle.
Conduction is a practice developed by Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris, where the conductor directs musicians' improvisation using hand signals and gestures. It is, in my opinion, one of the purest forms of group music-making. Here you can hear a clip from a session in late 2019. All of the music was created in real time by the musicians, in response to my hand gestures.
JAZZ //
Skylark was written in 1941 by Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer. It is now considered a jazz standard, performed by musicians all over the world. This version was recorded in Banff, AB during the 2015 International Jazz Workshop. Toronto-based singer Joanna Majoko can be heard singing here and soloing later in the tune.
This piece was written in 2015 for an ensemble at the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music. The goal was to write melody that was both simple and providing movement. It is played in communion-like fashion, with no set pulse to guide the musicians, and instead, each player listens and follows each other.
Automaton went through many iterations throughout the years, but eventually was arranged for a small jazz ensemble. It was recorded in 2015 for my final EP project at Humber College. It serves to demonstrate the jazz influence and education that impacted a large part of my musical development.