Woodwind

Composed for the Vientos Trio, this is a perfect piece for a college recital.  It is both fun for the players and audience pleasing.

A continuous movement exploring Greed, Blue, Yellow and Red Learn More

Constance is a piece composed for Nicholas Kevin Phillips, a saxophone player I met at the University of Central Florida, as a personal thank you for his generous donation to my “Get Matt to Maryland” Rally via rally.org. The inspiration for this work is the constant drive required to get where we want our lives to go. This is represented by the striving baritone saxophone melody. It evolves slowly, reflectively, aiming for the heights – a celebration of success and joy. The celebration is short-lived as we realize we have not yet arrived and that we are farther away than we initially thought… Learn More

I. Allegro Spiritoso

II. One-Minute Waltz

III. Yuletide Chorale

IV. Fughetta Learn More

Oboe, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet and Bassoon

Drift was written for the TIMBER Reed Quintet at the Ohio State University. Upon attending rehearsals and listening to the dynamic of the group, I was fascinated with the way the five instruments blended their sound together and the vast array of timbres that could emerge from the various combinations. This sparked my vision to create a piece that would highlight these abilities. Drift makes use of rhythmic ambiguity and uses a Jazz influence to create a musical idea of drifting along. 

SATB:

Fort Worth Funk was written to provide a light-hearted, engaging selection for Saxophone Quartet.  It begins with a dramatic statement from the Baritone Saxophone, who lays down the opening groove.  The other members of the quartet enter one at a time, while the composition builds to a virtuostic moment for the full quartet.  The staggered entrances also provide an opportunity to stage theatrics as well.  Appropriate rhythms and articulations are meticulously notated to help players achieve an authentic “funk” style in their performance.  The piece is loosely based on the chord changes to the jazz standard “Well You Needn’t”, which appears briefly in swing style at the end of the piece.  Chord changes and written solos are provided during the improvised sections, to bring the piece within the grasp of a wide spectrum of players. 

“In the Township of Danville” is an old Vermont Folk Song, arranged for woodwind quintet in a flowing romantic style.  The melodic theme is from the collection Vermont Folk-Songs & Ballads, compiled by the Committee on Vermont Traditions and Ideals, to preserve "very human stories that were made into song too far back in the generations to have any known origin."