| Angels We Have Heard On High (trad. French carol, arr.) (2003) | 3:00 |
| clarinet, bassoon, string quartet | |
| Written to accompany congregational singing, this arrangement paints the picture of angels hovering in the sky. | |
| —Available on the CD 21st Century Christmas | |
| The Big Bang (2002) (mp3) (rm) | 3:00 - 5:00 |
| piano and (violin, viola, or cello) | |
| My sonic conception of the birth of the universe (how big a statement can one piece make?) The score is mostly graphic, drawn in colored pencil, with some simpleguidelines on how to realize it. | |
| —Available on the CD The Doomsday Project | |
| Linguistic Sunflower Parade (1997) (mp3) (rm) | 5:00 |
| string quartet | |
| An early work with an appealing sense of innocence (something like Kronos Quartet's Pieces of Africa album). Suitable for young string quartet players. | |
| —Available on the CD A Mental Picnic | |
| METAMORPHOSE (1999-2000) | 11:00 |
| string orchestra (12 violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos, 2 basses) | |
| excerpt from the middle (mp3) (rm) — excerpt from the ending (mp3) (rm) | |
| Inspired by M. C. Escher's gigantic mural, this piece explores the transformation from one set of musical material into another in a kaleidoscopic journey through the full and the delicate sounds of a string orchestra. The piece needs at least the listed complement of musicians, since the music is divided into that many individual parts. | |
| —Available on the CD A Celebration of Sylvia Plath | |
| out there (1999-2001) | 22:00 |
| violin and piano | |
| I: Welcome. (mp3) (rm) — II: Lingering (mp3) (rm) III: Planet Funkotron (mp3) (rm) — IV: The Plunge. (mp3) (rm) |
Single movement(s) |
| An extreme challenge for violinist and pianist
alike, this intense
piece has many of the characteristics of a Beethovenian sonata - a
stormy
opening, a dreamy slow movement, a playful scherzo, and a driving
finale - but the musical ideas reach in new and surprising directions. | |
| —Available on the CD A Celebration of Sylvia Plath | |
| Quartet for the End of Music (2004) (mp3) (rm) | 7:00 |
| bass clarinet, cello, tuba, percussionist (marimba/bass drum) | |
| An intense piece of theatrical music, the Quartet requires the performers to be actors, singers, and talented instrumentalists. Recommended as the last piece on a program, since at the conclusion, the musicians fall over as if dead. Winner of the International Tuba-Euphonium Association's Harvey Phillips Composition Award, 2006. | |
| —Available on the CD New Music from Chappell's Kitchen | |
| Storytime (2004) (mp3) | 16:00 |
| soprano, clarinet/bass clarinet, violin, viola, cello | Currently not for sale [negotiating copyright] |
| A cycle of seven songs on texts by various authors from "The World's Shortest Stories", which are no more than 55 words long! The music and the stories explore the full spectrum from light to dark, hilarious to terrifying. Commissioned by Tiffany Blake, currently Professor of Voice at the University of Missouri. | |
| —Available on the CD New Music from Chappell's Kitchen | |
| Sympsony no. 1 (2000) (mp3) | 2:30 |
| violin extraordinaire and piano (four hands) | Currently not for sale [negotiating copyright] |
| A fun
showpiece blending Danny Elfman's theme from "The Simpsons" with
Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Perfect for an encore to a violin or
piano recital. This was later expanded into Sympsony no. 2 for violin and chamber orchestra. Everyone gets a kick out of this one, which happens to be suitable for young musicians. | |
| Up Up & Away (2003) (mp3) (rm) | 6:00 |
| oboe, violin, viola, cello | |
| A highly personal work, something of a portrait of a good friend of mine. In several sections, the instruments play asynchronously, adding a sense of chaos/freedom to the music. It may only last six minutes, but the piece has a monumental quality. | |
| —Available on the CD New Music from Chappell's Kitchen | |