large ensemble

Pursuit

In contemplation of the semiquincentennial of the United States of America, Pursuit considers an individual’s contemporary pursuit of happiness as coined in the Declaration of Independence. This pursuit leads to hallmark American virtues like industry and production, economic stability, justice and equity, and innovation. However, can one’s busyness eclipse the happiness found in simple, quiet moments with the people one cares about the most? The music blends the sounds of various quintessential American composers from the last century and places their styles in a 21st-century musical context.

Premiered May 2, 2026 by the Wooster Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Jeff Lindberg.

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A Brief Collection of Moments

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Commissioned by the Ariel Bybee Endowment Grant, A Brief Collection of Moments is a collaboration with choreographer Vanessa Cook (the grant recipient), poet Darlene Young, visual artists Michelle Nixon and Justin Wheatley, and essayist Isaac Richardson (who wrote the foreword for the piece). The work uniquely features an onstage soprano soloist. The Utah Metropolitan Ballet premiered the work on April 23, 2026 with Rachel Morris as soprano soloist and Marcel Bowman directing the orchestra. Learn more in the mini-doc below.

I Go a Fishing

I Go a Fishing
UNICAMP Symphony Orchestra

I Go a Fishing voyages away from the spectacle and fanfare of a bright, bombastic major sonority to arrive at an eerie harmonic world. Out foggy dissonances arrives a quick section that builds towards the return of a major chord, a tritone away from the opening, that settles a half step below. 

In some cases, we all are like the biblical Peter, who after seeing countless miracles until even the Risen God Himself, finds himself drifting back towards his former habits, proclaiming, “I go a fishing.” Whether by a net overflowing with fishes or by a strict admonition to “Feed my sheep,” we learn that the privileges and opportunities we receive carry a responsibility to others that both will challenge us and will yield a greater sense of purpose, livelihood, and peace if fulfilled. (John 21)

Commissioned by the São Paulo Contemporary Composers Festival Orchestra Commissioning Project for the Orquestra Sinfônica da UNICAMP

Performances

October 10, 2019 by the Orquestra Sinfônica da UNICAMP at the Auditorio de Ciencias Médicas, Universidade de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.

Tektōn

Tekton
UMKC Saxophone Choir

Tektōn, the etymological basis of the word tectonic, is the Greek word for carpenter or builder. The jagged nature that begins the work mixes with more flowing sections that brought to mind the formation of volcanoes through massive force and molten rock, due largely to underlying action in tectonic plates. However, the word “tektōn” suggests an overarching craftsmanship to such chaotic landmarks, paralleling the construction and contrast between the erratic and the ordered in this piece.

Performances

  • April 9, 2019 by the UMKC Sax Choir for the 2019 UMKC Co[mp]llaboration at Californos, KCMO.

MARCH

MARCH plays with the definition and purposing of a traditional march, following John Phillip Sousa’s standard march form. Militaristic drum rhythms, iconic bass patterns, declamatory brass calls, flowery woodwind patterns, modal melodies, and Stravinskian primitivism come together to connote ceremony, pageantry, valor, patriotism, entertainment, and calls to arm that have been associated with marches for centuries.

To be premiered.

Four Miniatures and a Prelude for a Somewhat Large Chamber Orchestra

Frost Symphony Orchestra I.
Frost Symphony Orchestra II.
Frost Symphony Orchestra III. To Louis (Andriessen, Armstrong, Prima XIV, etc.)
Frost Symphony Orchestra IV.
Frost Symphony Orchestra (V. Prelude)

Four Miniatures and a Prelude for a Somewhat Large Orchestra features four miniatures based on similar thematic material (and also a prelude). The first movement introduces the motif through claustrophobic shifts between loud and soft.  The second explores juxtaposition in an off-kilter scherzo.  The third explores jazz and boogie woogie styles in a hectic shuffle. It is dedicated to those Louis who get people to dance. The fourth movement develops material from the second movement in a stark, silent, and dissonant close to the miniature set. (Following the miniatures is the prelude. It is a merengue.)

Interested in performing Four Miniatures and a Prelude for a Somewhat Large Chamber Orchestra?

Perusal Score

Rent Score and Parts

Performances:

Time Moves On

Time Moves On
Brigham Young University Symphonic Band

Time Moves On expresses the hope for resurrection.  The interplay between the melancholy death theme and the warm and humorous life theme give both the reflection on the true focus of life, and the future that awaits those who hope in the next life.

This piece is dedicated to my Aunt Mary Lynn.

Interested in performing Time Moves On?

Contact me for more information.

Performances:

  • October 29, 2014 [Premiere], Brigham Young University Symphonic Band.

Sleep Dances

Sleep Dances
Brigham Young University Clarinet Choir

Sleep Dances expresses the idea of brain waves during the sleeping process. The piece begins with Beta Waves, which are found during activity, then progresses to Alpha Waves, Theta Waves (and K-spindles), and finally into Delta Waves.

Interested in performing Sleep Dances?

Contact me for more information.

Performances:

  • April 18, 2014 [Premiere], BYU Composition Seminar Showcase, BYU Clarinet Choir.