Description:The ancient Celtic people who occupied the British Isles around 1,600 years ago were a people who shared a deep connection with nature and the world they found themselves in. Around this time Christianity found its way to this land and these ancients would often draw on their surroundings for symbolism. In the Celtic tradition the Holy Spirit is represented as a bird, but not as the delicate and peaceful dove found in other cultures, but as An Ge Fhiain. The Wild Goose.Like a wild goose, they perceived the Sprit of God as wild and untamed. Geese are loud, raucous, and strong. Their honk is challenging, piercing, unnerving. They are uncontrollable, dicult if not impossible to catch, and their actions cannot be anticipated (thus the phrase “wild goose chase”). These ancient people absorbed spirituality then not as something that you captured, or something that you bent to your will. It was a pursuit, an adventure that you chased after. Their faith was one that was free and unpredictable.Juxtaposed against the chaos of the Goose chase these ancients also had a phrase for those places where the distance between earth and the spiritual realm collapses. Locales where we are able to catch hints and glimpses of the transcendent and where the divine seems to speak the clearest. They called these destinations “thin places”.In writing this piece I was intrigued by these two impressions: the wild and rambunctious Goose that calls us on an adventurous chase, and the tranquil, reverent thin places that the Goose leads us to. These two thoughts intertwine, sometimes gracefully and other times forcefully. The piece is written in the free-form of a fantasy overture and is built around a 5-note motif that variates throughout the allegro sections. A simple chordal hymn first stated by the horns provides the basis for the adagio segments. The Goose, represented by an antiphonally staged solo english horn, shows up at various points in the work as both the boisterous motivator and the soothing counselor. Music influences coming from the Celtic traditions are faint early on in the piece but transition to the forefront towards the end as the emulated sounds of bagpipes, penny whistles, and Irish drumming transform the 5-note figure into a reel and jig.AN GÉ FHIÁIN (The Wild Goose) was commissioned by Robert W. Clark as a gift to Dr. Barry K. Knezek in honor of his passion for and devotion to the Lone Star Wind Orchestra. The work was premiered by the same group January of 2014.

Description:The expression "and how" is used to strongly emphasize or agree with something someone has just said or done. All but extinct now in societal vernacular, this phrase would have been heard rather often during the exuberant age of flappers and prohibition. AND HOW! reminisces somewhat on the musical styles of the Roaring 20's and puts the solo clarinet in the limelight. I imaging that had the piece been performed back then, that the ensemble and soloist would have been met with accolades of "and how!" after the rousing conclusion. AND HOW! was commissioned by the Cedar Ridge High School Low Brass Ensemble for their performance and the 2013 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic and is scored for solo clarinet, 4 trombones, 2 euphoniums, 2 tubas, and 2 percussionist.

Description:Snaking through central Europe is a unique highway system called the Autobahn. What makes this highway special is the absence of speed limits. Your only hindrence is the performance ability of the vehicle your driving. In writing this piece I wanted to focus less on the idea of speed and more on the freedom and exhilaration that one feels while driving on a road with no limitations. In the beginning of the work fast cars whiz by (as imitated by the slide-gliss in the trombone) as the "driver" begins to accelerate onto the highway. Driving fast is a real thrill until they run into traffic. Honking horns and police sirens add to the frustration. The traffic eventually clears though and the driver puts the pedal to the metal and cruises off into the European countryside. The work is dedicated to the students of the Glenn C. Jones Middle School Honor Band and their director, Dr. Tonya Millsap, whose ideas where the driving force behind this piece. And also a special thanks goes to Jake Marbury who gave us the title for the work.

Description:As I was beginning to brainstorm ideas for this piece I stumbled across the title of a piece by famed Argentinean composer Astor Piazzolla called "Café 1930". I found the title immediately intriguing and in wanting to write a piece that tipped the hat heavily towards a specific style, the mood and intensity found within tango seemed to be the right fit. The similarities between Piazzolla's work and the one I was looking to write pretty much end at the title. Whereas Piazzolla's work is intimate, slow, and melancholy (as well as being a true tango), I wanted to write something more dance-like and energetic.

Description:When starlings flock together, it is called a murmuration. These murmurations can range from a few hundred birds up to massive oceans of over a million. Like huge billows of smoke being manipulated by the shifting winds these bird’s liquid-like formations will tighten up then open, explode with great speed then suspend as if hovering. It is one of nature’s great collaborations.Now contrast one of these epic collectives of starlings with the image of a solitary bird, sitting on a wire. Simple, independent and carefree, chirping and tweeting it’s song for anyone who will listen. And yet in an instant it is gone, leaving it’s perch to take part in another choreographed dance in the sky.CONSIDER THE BIRDS uses musical “murmurations” built around evolving figures in triplet 12/8. The displaced chordal language shifts slowly then suddenly, the melodic lines climbing then diving along the full register of the marimbas. In juxtaposition to these murmurations come moments of slow and serene contemplation. A simple choral underlines conversational “chirping” created by the xylophone and other keyboards. The piece ultimately plays o these two impression, shifting back and forth between the expansive masses and the small and simple.CONSIDER THE BIRDS is written for large percussion ensemble and was commissioned by the Texas Christian University Percussion Orchestra, Brian West director.

Description:I'm amazed at how children use their imaginations to transform the ordinary and normal into the extraordinary and fantastic. Just about anything they come across can be used to spark their fantasies and usher their minds into unseen worlds. A stick on the ground becomes a wand with magical powers or a sword to fight off bad guys. A collection of rocks turns into buried treasure and a blanket stretched over two chairs becomes a cave to hide in. And things found in nature; birds, waterfalls, flowers, and even insects can take on mythic identities when viewed through the eyes of a child. The idea for FIREFLY was born one night as I watched my 4-year old become mesmerized by a firefly that had wandered into our front yard. When I asked her what she thought of the "firefly" she looked at me with a puzzled look and said with a corrective tone, "Dad, that is not a firefly... that's Tinkerbell, and she's come to take me with her on an adventure!" FIREFLY is dedicated to my daughters Sophia and Nyla, who ignite my imagination and bring awe and wonder into my life every day.

Description:PROGRAM NOTES COMING SOON

Description:MIDI mockup... live recording coming soon!

Description:When the Collins Hill High School Band approached me about writing a piece for their head band director, who was set to retire at the end of the year, they wanted something that spoke not only to this man's love of music but also to his love for the great outdoors. I was reminded then of the times growing up when my family and I would go camping in Sequoia National Park and we would set up our tents among the giant redwood trees that grow in that region of California. These trees command attention with their immense stature, their size the result of years gone by and storms weathered. And yet they exude a peaceful and subtle tranquility. This idea of "Powerful Tranquility" became the cornerstone that this lyrical tone poem was created."Redwood" was commissioned by the Collins Hill High School Band and written in honor of Richard Marshall.

Description:Riff Raff was born out of a recently renewed interest in post-war jazz and big-band. The works of composers and arrangers like Kenton, Riddle, Graettinger, Ellington, and even the jazz-inspired sounds in some of Bernstein's symphonic music conjure up images (in my mind anyway) of the "urban rebel" found within mid-century American pop culture. This idea of the brooding lone figure who forges through life on their own terms can be found in some of the fictional film characters played by James Dean and Marlon Brando or in the hard-boiled detectives and heroes within pulp novels and film noir. What I find interesting about these character's is the double-persona that they usually possess. On one hand they exude an über-cool toughness and an "I don't care what the world thinks" bravado. Yet internally there is often a conflicted and troubled soul in need of redemption.

Description:MIDI Mockup

Description:If you were to find yourself in one of Bruce Dinkins’ band rooms over the years you may have noticed a large sign hanging from one of it’s walls. It simply states;TO ALL THOSE WHO ENTERYOU ARE SUBJECT TO THE RELENTLESS REFINING PROCESS OF MUSIC THROUGH UNCOMPROMISING STANDARDSTo know Bruce was to know a teacher and a person with a rare passion. He wanted nothing more than for his students to not only grasp the unparalleled power that music holds, but to experience it within the context of excellence. This statement then becomes the perfect summation of his musical life and what one could expect under his tutelage. I know myself and the many who entered have taken this quote to heart as a guiding principle of our lives and and we are forever indebted to Bruce for what he gave and instilled in us.This work is laid out in 3 movements, played collectively and without pause. Movement-1, “those who enter” speaks to the unformed innocence of those who first begin their musical journey. The main theme is introduced by a solo horn and is framed within simple lyrical chorales scored for various choirs. Movement-2, “the relentless refining process” is a quick scherzo in a dueling 5/8- 6/8 meter. Bruce’s ‘go-to-tool’ for teaching was often the symphonic works of romantic and early 20th century masters like Tchaikovsky, Wagner, and Shostakovich. Even though he appreciated contemporary musical output, Bruce seemed to hit another gear with these kinds of pieces and he would use them to push his ensembles to new artistic heights. The scherzo pulls heavily from romantic-period harmonies and also contains several ‘cameos‘ of works that I will always associate with Bruce. Movement-3, “of music”, is the maturation of the musical process. The main theme and chorale from movement-1 moves from an extended clarinet solo and into a powerful climax. The work then ends with an epilogue and farewell as the solo clarinet rings the notes Bb and D to end the piece.TO ALL THOSE WHO ENTER was commissioned in memory of Bruce Dinkins by a consortium of colleagues and friends and was premiered in February of 2013 by the James Bowie High School Band.

Description:There are certain people in the world, from all walks of life, who envision and dream about what could be. They are forward thinkers, people who see past the status-quo. They find hope and adventure in possibility and discovery. For them it's about turning the average today into an amazing tomorrow. And when these individuals take their bold ideas and combine them with action, faith, and perseverance, they become a catalyst for turning that which was previously though impossible into reality. These people are known as Visionaries. "Visionaries" is based around a simple theme first stated by the clarinet. In the same way that a person goes through different challenges and stages on their way to achieving their goals so too this "vision" theme is taken through several variations and moods before coming to a large resolution at the end of the piece. Visionaries is dedicated to Dr. Tonya Millsap and the students of the Glenn C. Jones Middle School band, who's visionary ideas and thoughts were the inspiration behind this piece.