Hello internet, I’m back!

For those of you who may visit this website, you may have noticed it’s been quite some time since I’ve been active here. Everything has sort of revolved around my dissertation for the past year, and sadly composition has taken a back seat in my mind to finishing this enormous paper. But there is light at the end of the tunnel! I am set to wrap up and defend my dissertation in April of 2020 and complete my Doctor of Musical Arts Degree! Over the course of my research, I’ve learned a lot about klezmer and been exposed to some amazing and interesting music; I plan on posting again soon with an overview of my research and a few links to performances which have stood out in my mind.

Despite most of my attention being pulled away from composing lately, the wheels have begin to turn and I’m getting back into it. Last summer, I was honored to compose a short piece helping to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans landing in English-occupied North America entitled “The Silent Founders: In Memoriam” (you can see the video here). I finished my composition for wind band, “The Badchen,” a few months back as a companion piece to my dissertation and I look forward to hearing a premiere performance. I recently completed a smaller-scale work at the end of 2019 entitled “Quinta Essentia” for viola and piano, and I am excited to get that piece out into the world as well (hit me up violists!) Finally, in the past week I’ve begun digging through old material to put together a new string quartet, which I hope to finish by early summer (we’ll see how I do).

I promise to update more diligently from here on out, hope everyone’s month is off to a great start and I’ll be posting again soon!