Consciousness is the Creature of Rhythm

for flute/piccolo, clarinet/bass clarinet, bassoon, violin, percussion and optional narrators

Consciousness is the Creature of Rhythm was inspired by the short story Moxon’s Master by Ambrose Bierce, in which an inventor is apparently killed by his automaton. The story is full of logical gaps, however, and what really happened has been a matter of debate. This piece deliberately leaves those gaps unfilled, suggesting connections and motivations without explicitly endorsing any theory. The audience must use its imagination to make sense of the action and determine who is responsible for Moxon’s death. Continue reading 

Tuesday Evening Commute

for solo marimba (4½–octave)

This piece begins with the slam of a door as a city-dweller leaves work one Tuesday night. The momentum that propels him along his familiar route is interrupted a few times: by a surprising sight on the street, by a collision with a fellow pedestrian, and by a daydream on the train. As the commuter nears home his mood lightens, his pace quickens, and the last thing we hear is the slam of his own door as he disappears inside.
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