Original loop pedal compositions
Written in the spring and summer of 2022 for trombone and loop pedal, this piece was an attempt at a brighter outlook and perspective on life. During a period of personal growth and self-reflection, I realized that much of my music dealt with my own feelings of anxiety and stress. For this piece, I set out to write something filled with hope and positivity, and my inspiration was my daughter. In two movements, while I would like the performer to come up with their own personal inspirations of happy moments, for me, they could just as easily be titled Unicorns and Rainbows.
Written in during the quarantine of 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, this piece was written for trombone and loop pedal. It expresses a range of emotions including grief, anger, frustration, and helplessness in the face of isolation, fear of the pandemic, and ongoing social injustice. Revised February 2021.
This piece was written in the winter and spring of 2019 for trombone and loop pedal. Recollections is intended to be a set of memories from any generic period of time of someone’s life, that one has hints of through the course of the day. The piece starts with a waking of sorts, followed by a growing storm of memories and thoughts, eventually calming again with gentle canon.
Duet project
A duet for two trombones, this one has hints of 8-bit video game music and a heavy metal breakdown. This one is hard!
Arrangements
This is an arrangement done during the lockdown of 2020 for trombone, electric guitar, and synthesizer. Multiple instrument choices can be used to substitute for the guitar and synthesizer, however the notation here reflects the original performance.
Just Breathe is a piece for trombone and loop pedal written in the winter of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. In three movements, the piece offers advice that is often easier said than done. The first movement, Breathe In, represents the moment when one is starting to feel overwhelmed and realizes that they need to take a calming breath, culminating in a lush chorale. The second movement, Monkey Brain, refers to the nature of our minds to wander frantically from topic to topic, rather than be in the moment. And finally, the third movement, Release, is the exhale as we release negative thoughts and tension with our breath.
I wrote this piece for trombone and loop pedal in 2017 over the course of my wife’s pregnancy with our first baby. The piece reflects the emotions and feelings that I went through as we experienced and braced ourselves for some of the biggest changes in our lives. Feelings of excitement, anxiety, self doubt, and overwhelming joy pass from one to the other, eventually culminating in a sense of deep peace and relaxation.
Written at the beginning of the COVID-19 quarantine lockdown, this piece reflects on the feelings of isolation and separation from community that were shared by all. For two trombones.
Adaptations
Just Breathe is a piece for trombone and loop pedal written in the winter of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. In three movements, the piece offers advice that is often easier said than done. The first movement, Breathe In, represents the moment when one is starting to feel overwhelmed and realizes that they need to take a calming breath, culminating in a lush chorale. The second movement, Monkey Brain, refers to the nature of our minds to wander frantically from topic to topic, rather than be in the moment. And finally, the third movement, Release, is the exhale as we release negative thoughts and tension with our breath. This was adapted for tuba in February, 2022.