alto sax

, ,

i2i

, ,

At the onset of the 2020-2021 pandemic, I found myself, along with many others, on social media more than ever before. Ironically, the time online did not fill my social void. I felt anxious, discouraged, and hooked to every social and political issue. If only I knew earlier that I was playing with fire! The artificial intelligence keeps people online through endless information and the yearning for replies and reactions. It has also been the hotbed of conspiracy theories and misinformation that have led to hate towards already marginalized groups and even terrible acts of violence. With such forces in play, how can one get to know the real you?

In i2i, the two performers (each a capital I) attempt to connect, but they compete with the aggressive electronics. Only when they see through the games of the electronics are they able to overcome its influence. In other words, the individual “I” steps down (lowercase “i”) to arrive at a unison (a2). Only by interacting directly and not through the filters of media are they able to see eye to eye.

Premiered July 15, 2021 at the International Trombone Festival by Russ Zokaites and Nathan Mensink.

Commissioned by the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at Brigham Young University

Tektōn

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.