A New Year

I'm happy to say that Fall 2011 ended excellently, with straight As and a packed portfolio of new compositions. Among them, three new electronic works and 4 new instrumental works.

• Assemblance, for electronics. Samples the sounds of LEGO bricks.
• Transmittance, for electronics. Uses sounds from an analog synthesizer.
• Incense Ascendant, for electronics. Uses samples of recordings of Russian chant, choirs, and bells.
• Cranching, for carillon. Uses all the chromatic notes that Bach didn't use in his Prelude in C Minor from Book 1 of the Well-Tempered Clavier
• Space2, for clarinet, bass clarinet, xylophone, vibraphone, and marimba. Uses notes from a 12 tone matrix...diagonally...
• Northwest of Earth, for bassoon. Three movements of alien wildness.
• Vials, for violin and cello. Uses ad libitum coordination, meaning that the players try hard to play largely independently of each other.

Space2 was performed at the student composers concert, it was also featured in four sold out performances of BYU's DancEnsemble with choreography by Katie Bourne. That makes it my most widely heard and most performed piece so far.

This year I'll be focusing on writing some important works that will feature in my portfolio as I apply to schools for my doctorate this fall. Suggestions for schools are appreciated! I'm also going to apply for a Fulbright to visit Russia, hopefully to spend a school year there at either the conservatory in Moscow or Saint Petersburg.