Discover The Night: The Backbone of Night Remastered

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It’s International Dark Sky Week and to celebrate I’m looking back at my 2017 chamber symphony, The Backbone of Night. It is a piece about astrophilia and the loss of the night sky in our urban centers. The title is taken from a painting by Jon Lomberg. The work is in three sections. The first imagines a cityscape with its flashing neon lights and all of the hustle and bustle of modern life, but with a night sky devoid of stars due to ever-present skyglow. The second section imagines a trip to the outskirts of the city where skyglow is no longer a factor and the wonders of the night sky are clearly visible. The final section imagines a modern city that has figured out how to manage its light pollution without diminishing its sense of security or all of the activities that a modern society currently enjoys.

Earth Day 2022: Blue Remembered Earth Remastered

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To celebrate Earth Day, I’m looking back at my 2018 symphony for wind ensemble, Blue Remembered Earth. Early drafts were floating around as far back as 2011. It was the need to bring closure to this work that prompted my going back to school for more education. I am grateful for the guidance provided by James Syler at UTSA. The insights he provided helped me organize this material into a much more cohesive package. I’ve written many things since then, but this remains the piece I am most proud of. I hope to get the chance to hear it performed someday.

of the right opinion

Serial random conflict crescendo
futures with predictable patterns
our destruction dominance survival
of the right opinion

Worldview threatened power intoxication
will watch everything burn
when it can't win nothing will
conflagration unheroic desolation
snowy winter disappear

Pause
perhaps forever

New player spotlight spark
serial random conflict crescendo
futures with predictable patterns
their destruction dominance survival
of the right opinion

Clean Blue Sky, First Listen

Clean Blue Sky is a three minute work for concert band. It is a modern take on classic ballads for winds such as Balladair by Frank Erickson. I wanted to write a piece for students that would represent musically the build up and removal of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. I settled on using additive chord tones (7ths, 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths) to create tension and to build up the thicker textures needed to represent the build up of atmospheric pollutants. The piece begins with a standard 3-pitch major chord in Bb Major and ends with the open, clean interval of a Perfect 5th (Bb/F). Another pedagogical goal of the piece was to develop rhythmic understanding of the dotted-quarter note. It is used in multiple ways throughout the piece by every instrument. Ranges are all within beginner to intermediate level with doubling throughout. 

This audio is of the original orchestration. An updated version will be available May 2022.

2021, sketchy.

Here is my annual rundown of things I managed to give more than a cursory listen to in this year of inspiration, disillusionment, and improvisation. As always, this is NOT meant as my “Best of” list or anything other than an experiment in exhibitionism and voyeurism. I do it because I enjoy reading about what others are listening to and so I’d like to reciprocate. One thing I’ve noticed about my list this year is that is more detached from current pop music than in previous years. Part of that is a result of not feeling like attending any new festivals this year, some of it is seeking comfort in old friends, and some of it is a natural tendency to age out. I usually try very hard to avoid this, but I just didn’t have the heart this year for some reason. Maybe next year. As always, YMMV.

Here’s to realized campaign promises and renewed global cooperation. 

In alphabetical order.

Aimee Mann, Queens of the Summer Hotel

Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Enigma

Asleep at the Wheel, Half a Hundred Years

Billy F Gibbons, Hardware

Ceramic Dog, Hope

ChVrches, Screen Violence: Director’s Cut

Dave Gahan & Soulsavers, Imposter

Deap Vally, Marriage

Deep Purple, Turning to Crime

Dennis DeYoung, 26 East, Vol. 2

Dropkick Murphys, Turn Up That Dial

Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, Hunter and the Dog Star

Explosions in the Sky, Big Bend

Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, The Reset

Hammock, Elsewhere

Mogwai, As The Love Continues

Jean-Michel Jarre, Amazônia

José González, Local Valley

Olga Neuwirth, Solo

Pat Metheny, Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV)

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Raise the Roof

St. Vincent, The Nowhere Inn

Steve Cropper, Fire It Up

Styx, Crash of the Crown

Tangerine Dream, Probe 6-8 (2021)

Terence Blanchard, Absence

Terri Hendrix, Pilgrim’s Progress Project 5.5

The Joy Formidable, Into The Blue

Tune-Yards, sketchy.

Tyshawn Sorey, For George Lewis

Vikingur Ólafsson, Mozart & Contemporaries

Willie Nelson, That’s Life

Wynton Marsalis & JLCO, The Democracy! Suite

Yes, The Quest

Willow, Final Version

These are the completed lyrics to Willow, a soon to be released work for male voice choir (TTBB) and low brass quartet (tenor trombones, bass trombone, tuba)

I will bend to your will

and you will bend to mine

when the time comes

We will cherish the tapestry

that was woven on bended knees

when the water comes

There will be money to buy

all the food in the world

when the famine comes

We'll have seeds a-plenty

to plant all we need

when the drought comes

Clamorings for freedom

will prevent the cure

when the plague comes

Feeling your strength

mindlessly

bullying 

chuckling 

you fell by

the bit of the axe 

thrust into me 

with past's clarion call

Roots dug deep

wounded on bended needs

when the time came

Those in orbit around us

will sing hosannas eternal

when the darkness comes