Boundaries for String Orchestra (2004-05)
Duration: approx 5:30
Published by Kenter Canyon Music (ASCAP)

Originally written for String Quintet, Boundaries for String Orchestra was revised in 2004 and 2005 and performed several times at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Arts and in the 2005 Orchestral Festival, Landisville, PA. under the direction of Dr. Michael T. Jamanis. Most recently, Boundaries was performed by The New Millenium Chamber Orchestra under the direction of James Frieman. A strong, bold, tonal work which had its genesis from a boundary dispute I was having with a neighbor.

Courage (2000)
2222 4331 2 perc, timp, stgs
Duration: approx 5:00
Published by Kenter Canyon Music (ASCAP)

Commissioned by Ivan Shulman and The Los Angeles Doctors Symphony Orchestra
A bold, powerful works, rhythmic and melodic with underlying snare drum military-like heartbeat. Opening melody from the brass is taken over by the woodwinds and then the strings. Easy to moderate for strings, more difficult for horns but worth it! Piccolo players love this piece. An outgrowth of my battle with Breast Cancer, Courage speaks to the strength in all of us to overcome adversity in our lives. Particularly suitable for patriotic programming as well as an opener for most any concert. Most recent performances include The Houston Symphony, Kirk Smith conducting, The Hewlett-Packard Symphony Orchestra and The Cherokee Symphony. The Los Angeles Doctors Symphony Orchestra has performed it many times, as have numerous other community and youth orchestras including The Dubuque Youth Orchestra, Brian Hughes conducting, The Kona Chamber Symphony Orchestra with Ken Staton conducting, and Northern Arizona University Symphony under the direction of Kirk Smith.

Homeward Bound (2017-19)
2131 3211 perc, hp, stgs
Duration: approx 7:00
Published by Kenter Canyon Music (ASCAP)

Commissioned in 2017 by The Holyoke Symphony Orchestra, David Kidwell, Music Director, "HOMEWARD BOUND" is a work welcoming the men and women home who have served in wars and given service to our country. Some people come home to continue fruitful and productive lives. Others come home and need help for the rest of their lives. Some do not come home at all. A great work for Memorial Day, July 4th, and other concerts. A worthwhile work for moderate to advanced orchestras. Most recently, HOMEWARD BOUND was performed at the Soraya Performing Arts Center by the CSUNYO under the direction of Dr. John Rosigno.

Images: Sunrise (1998)
2131 3211 perc, hp, stgs
Duration: approx 8:00
Published by Kenter Canyon Music (ASCAP)

Performed by The Peter Meremblum Youth Orchestras in Los Angeles, IMAGES was composed with the help of a Meet The Composers grant and The Margaret Jory Music Copying Assistance Program. Lively, melodic and fun to play, moderately easy with something for everyone!

Interiors (2003)
For string orchestra
Duration: ca. 7:30
Published by Kenter Canyon Music (ASCAP)

Thanks to Jeannie Pool who created the wonderful concert series, In Praise of Music, Interiors was commissioned for the final concert of the 2002-2003 season. This work is part of a larger work-in-progress for string orchestra. As I envision it at this time (and times always change!), it will be the inner movement of a series of Dialogues. The mood of the work is an outgrowth of our world situation. The opening section engages an inverted interval that suggests memories of our childhood. This motif weaves its way through the instruments and settles into the middle section of triplets like children playing hide and seek. Though the work is pensive and sometimes somber, it also addresses the hopes for our futures and those of our children. Most recemtly, Interiors was performed by the United States Army Strings in Washington, DC under their marvelous director, Maj. TodA. Addison.

Serenade For Alto Sax, Trumpet, and Orchestra (1997)
3 fl (db picc, alt sax), 23 (dB ten sax) 2 4441 2 perc, drum set, timp, hp, pn, stgs
Duration: approx 9:00
Published by NewAm Music

SERENADE FOR TRUMPET, ALTO SAXOPHONE AND ORCHESTRA interweaves the genres of classical and jazz musical forms. Commissioned by the American Jazz Philharmonic for the Henry Mancini Institute that encourages bridging the gap between the two musical art forms. SERENADE attempts to blur the lines by using “Wachet Auf,” a melody by J.S. Bach, as a tool to bring a17th century melody into the 21st century. It also communicates how the rhythms of Bach easily transcend the four century barrier. Bach has always been a wonderful tool in the teaching of classical music to young people because of its rhythmic bed and clear melodic and harmonic structure. A terrific, fun piece for the musicians, stepout parts for tpt, alto sax, horns, and jazz band. Some meter changes, needs a trumpet player with a high C (although it can be transposed down). The premiere performance, which I had the good fortune to conduct, got a standing ovation!

Sound Mass (2003)
1111 1110 hp perc strings
Duration: 2:50


Western Suite
2222 4331 perc timp hp pn strngs
Duration: approx 11:30
Published by Kenter Canyon Music (ASCAP)

"Western Suite" was a FINALIST for The American Prize 2013 in the Orchestra Division. Commissioned by Ivan Shulman and The Los Angeles Doctors Symphony Orchestra and premiered by them in Santa Barbara, CA. A warm, colorful, tuneful programmatic piece describing the west where I grew up, Western Suite (aka Montana Morning) is Coplandesque with interesting twists and turns. Numerous professional and community orchestras have performed Western Suite across the country. Moderate in difficulty, an outstanding trumpet player is needed. Though this piece is scored with harp and piano, it has been performed successfully on numerous occasions without one or both. Recent performances include The Virginia Symphony, Wes Kenney conducting two performances, The Conway Symphony, John Roscigno conducting an All American Program, The Old Post Road Symphony, Neal Schermerhorn conducting, The Hewlett-Packard Symphony Orchestra, George Yefchek conducting, Culver City Symphony Orchestra, Frank Fetta, conductor and Music Director, and The Southeast Symphony, Anthony Parnther, Music Director and conductor.

"Western Suite" was released on a CD recorded by The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra in Australia with Sean O'Boyle conducting. Titled Soliliquy, the CD was released on ABC Classics. Other North American composers on this wonderful album include Nancy Bloomer Deussen, Carson Coonan, Jennifer Higdon, and Robert Wendel. For more details, go to their website.

As a native of the American West, I have always been deeply affected by the large scale of the vast landscapes and craggy shapes that dominate our region. In "Western Suite", I've attempted to draw from my well of emotional interior images and interpret them musically. I have chosen to use the programmatic (rather than absolute) language of music to paint aural pictures through open melodies and harmonies contrasted with minimalistic techniques. Ivan Shulman heard a short piece of mine titled "Buffalo Girls" and encouraged me to expand it. And so the first movement of "Western Suite" was conceived. The Suite opens with a solo oboe playing a tranquil melody representing a sunrise and as the sun grows in the sky, more instruments are added to fill in the harmonic landscape. A solo trumpet heralds the beginning of the work day as the strings pizzicato in syncopation to the Hoedown melody. The horns join the hoedown "dance" melody and transition into a lyrical section for solo oboe, winds and strings conjuring up pictures of a vast, purple sky. A transition into another dancelike section using muted trombones in rhythmic contrast to a flute, clarinet, and violin trio melody carries us into another lyrical section for the strings, woodwinds, and horns. The woodwinds rhythmically pulsate in a minimalist exercise as two trumpets "converse." Their duet/dialogue is interrupted by the recapitulation of the opening theme now played by the oboe, piano, and strings. The movement closes with a flourish of motifs of the hoedown theme played in counterpoint to the pealing of tubular bells, finishing with a joyful surge of orchestral colors.