Now that you know a little about how the piece came about, let me talk a little bit about the composition. First, you'll notice the jingling of bells in the piece. When I first started working on the piece, I asked Eddie, "So what 20^th century techniques can the bassoon produce?" He couldn't think of any. So my next question for him was, "How do you feel about ankle bells?" At the time, he loved the idea. It wasn't until he actually had to do it that he thought twice about the trouble he'd gotten himself into. The idea of incorporating ankle bells extended to the flute as I experimented with different size bells.  You'll also notice the distinct ring of a djembe, an African goblet shaped drum.  The addition of the djembe came after I had written the score for the other parts.  While sitting in on the rehearsals, the trio encountered some difficulties with some of the rhythms.  So, having my djembe with me, I played a steady beat for the trio.  When they reached safer rhythmic ground, I improvised along with them until the next section where a steady beat was needed.  Eventually, I decided that the djembe was a perfect compliment to the piece, and sketched a part out for myself.

    The next musical element essential to the piece is a two measure thought. This thought is pivotal as a germinal idea from which the rest of the music is developed, and as a structural point at which the piece finds repose. These structural points grow and evolve throughout the piece, slowly unfolding the base chord from which all the tonal centers and extended harmonies are either extracted or developed. The culmination of this development is the largest structural point at the end of the piece where the music seems to spin out of control. Here, the voices slip in and out of sync with one another in a sort of loose phasing process, finally falling into line with one another for the conclusion of the work.

    In between these structural points is musical meandering that explores the possibilities of that one musical seed, but always with the direction and impetus of the growing structural points. Interwoven are small melodic figures, long and lyrical melodies, rhythmic impulse, points of arrival and realization, and points of chaotic energy. It is an amalgamation of disparate elements flowing seamlessly. This piece combines so many of my musical interests, and is eclectic all the way around. Throughout the course of the piece, you'll hear the influence of West African rhythms, Minimalist and Post-Minimalist music, the Primitivism of Stravinsky and more recent composers such as James MacMillan and John Corigliano, the lyricism of the American art songs of composers such as Richard Hundly and Conrad Susa, and even elements of broadway, jazz, rock, and alternative music. This piece is a little bit of everything that I listen to, and I'm so satisfied with the way it has all melded together into one unique and coherent sound.
 

Special thanks to the three musicians that made this piece what it is: