Music In Progress

<p >Closing 2025, Looking to 2026: A New Year’s Reflection A candid look back at missed goals, unexpected progress, and the realities that shaped my composing year. Reflecting on 2025 helps me reset expectations, carry...

<p >A simple woodwind-quintet idea spiraled into a battle with “Masterpiece Syndrome.” Here’s how perfection pressure quietly kills creativity—and why even Beethoven’s so-called masterpieces weren’t perfect. A reminder...

<p >Post-Concert Reflections After a thrilling premiere filled with last-minute drama (including an injured oboist!), I swapped the concert hall for a paint-splattered ladder. Now, post-symphony and post-vacation, I’m...

<p >The Work After “The Work” Finishing the symphony didn’t mean the work was done. From printing scores and preparing parts to writing for the American Beethoven Society and adjusting tempos after feedback, every step...

<p >Finishing Touches on the Finale I spent August refining the finale of my Fourth Symphony—revising problem spots, reworking the beginning and ending, and polishing details. With feedback from mentors and renewed...

<p >A family tragedy delayed my progress, but in quiet moments I found the symphony’s ending. Weaving past themes into the finale, I aimed for both energy and closure—bringing the Fourth Symphony’s journey full...

<p >The Calm Before the Coda After a refreshing break, I’m back at work on the Fourth Symphony’s finale—moving into slower variations, layered chorales, and rhythmic twists. With only 24 measures left, the first draft...

<p >Second Fugue A dense fugue, a rhythmic twist, and a well-earned milestone—this week’s progress on my Fourth Symphony hits the halfway mark. With burnout looming, I’m pausing to recharge before tackling the final...

<p >March variation, a tipsy waltz, and leading to an inverted fugue—this week’s work on my Fourth Symphony brought unexpected turns and forward motion. With inspiration from Beethoven and Hindemith, I’m hitting my...

<p >Composing After Chaos: Symphony No. 4 Got Its Groove Back Beethoven meets Hindemith in the latest progress on my Symphony No. 4. This post explores fugues, rhythm, and how detailed planning—and the right...

<p >How Things Get Off Track — and the Importance of Notes After a month-long break caused by unexpected life events, I’m returning to my symphony project. Thanks to detailed notes and a clear plan, I’m able to jump...

<p >Best Laid Plans of Mice and Composers… A last-minute scramble to replace two missing compositions on an SFCCO concert turned my schedule plans upside down. I revived "Triangles", a guided improvisation piece from a...

<p >Back from the Islands and Back to the Symphony Fresh off a trip to the Channel Islands, I dive back into Symphony No. 4—reworking a bold theme inspired by Beethoven and Hindemith, with surprises from Lutosławski and...

<p >Circle-Music, Score Migration, and a Return to Symphony No. 4 A busy spring season brings progress on solo Circle-Music pieces, score migrations into Dorico, and a long-awaited return to Symphony No. 4. With new...

<p >New Music, Score Migrations, and Bassoon Experiments January was packed with travel and celebrations, but I made progress on my bassoon circle-music piece, refining multiphonics, phrase connections, and...