Music Scores Series

For jazz or classically trained pianists seeking a new challenge, this collection presents a dazzling display of technical virtuosity and musical sophistication. Ranging from thunderous bravura passages to haunting lyricisms, they push the boundaries of technique while engaging a broad spectrum of human emotions. In the process, they showcase the instrument's melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic possibilities while demanding pinpoint accuracy, fluidity, and strength of touch. Though intensely demanding, each piece aims to engage both performer and listener in a journey of artistic expression and personal exploration.

  'A Taoist Requiem' is a moving meditation on life, death, and spirituality from an Eastern perspective. Scored for a diverse ensemble including piano, harp, woodwinds, brass, strings, and wordless choir/soloists, the Requiem journeys through a challenging psychic landscape familiar to us all. Section I (Yin) chronicles the caustic descent into grief. Part 1, "Emptiness," establishes a wrenching desolation through sparse instrumentation and a searing melody for the flute. In Part 2, "Futile Words," the bereaved find their voice, but the phrases circle back on themselves without resolution, and with an undercurrent of anger. Part 3, "Death Withered and Dry," evokes a dark inner world with stark contrasts in dynamics and melodic lines. But darkness has its limits, and that is reached in Part 4, "And Strong Rains Do Not Last the Day," where the ensemble surges into a storm of dissonant chords and accents before retreating into silence. Section II begins the healing process. In Part 5, "A Tree as Large as Your Embrace Grows from a Tiny Seedling," the possibility of hope is suggested by the simple melody as it enlists more and more instruments, like tree rings. In Part 6, "Becoming Sick of Sickness Throws Off Sickness," each instrument in the initial cacophony is systematically entrained and then dissipated, like restless thoughts yielding to quiet attention. Part 7, "Sometimes Gain Through Loss," marks the return of previous motifs but in a brighter key and with an expansive, almost playful acceptance, setting the stage for resolution. This occurs in Part 8, "The Way," which closes the work with a fresh perspective on the score for Part 1. As ethereal harmonies signal journey's end, we realize that in the crucible of grief, the problem of emptiness somehow becomes its own solution. And yet… the final note held by the lone flute is identical to how the requiem starts, inviting the performers to enter into the cycle again, as so often happens in coping with loss. With its unusual scoring, 'A Taoist Requiem' offers both challenges and catharsis, as the music draws us into a contemplation of mortality.

Take a captivating musical odyssey through this eclectic collection of 25 original compositions. The varied arrangements explore a wealth of combinations incorporating everything from voice to harp, guitar, flute, piano, strings, and even the enchanting glass harmonica. Whether you're a seasoned musician or a student of a particular instrument, this rich tapestry of classical, contemporary, and cinematic pieces will inspire and challenge in equal measure. Immerse yourself in scenes of serenity, melancholy, and unbridled imagination, as the scores shift gear from intimate to lush, classical to jazz, instrumental to choral. Nostalgia, wistfulness, and unexpected moments are blended with a strong sense of narrative, creating the ideal mix for anyone seeking fresh, evocative material.

Approaching composition with a science fiction mindset, 'Rhythms of the Red Sands' is a groundbreaking work that transports readers into the heart of humanity's interplanetary future. Through a series of fifteen rich and evocative musical scores, arranged for a variety of ensembles, this collection charts the sonic evolution of a hypothetical Martian society, and in the process crafts a vivid portrait of cultural identity and societal transformation across seven colonial eras. This boundary-pushing collection of printed music expresses the creativity of the composer from a science fiction perspective, inviting the reader to experience the music of an extraterrestrial civilization, and even play it for themselves if they have a performance background! Immerse yourself in this unique genre-bending exploration, where the rhythms of an alien world enliven one of humanity's possible musical futures