ZOOM! | FOR STRINGS AND PERCUSSION

Commissioned by the United States Air Force Band for their elite string ensemble; Commander & Conductor, Colonel Don Schofield

Program Note:

ZOOM / zo͞om / verb: move or travel very quickly

or, as I like to define:

ZOOM / zo͞om / verb: to be together when apart

Because of a global pandemic, the year 2020 will stand out in history as perhaps the most challenging year we, as a world, will have to endure in our lifetime. But even during this era, there is hope—a universal anticipation of a return to normalcy—an idea I wanted to artistically evoke in ZOOM!. This work was motivated by my desire to construct a composition that embodies a word, phrase, or idea that, in part, defines this season. "Zoom" quickly rose to the top of the list, as much of our lives and interaction with people have become centered around the video conferencing platform of the same name. Musically, most of the composition is energetic, moves quickly, and radiates joy. These attributes echo the literal meaning of the title. The title further reflects the rapid development of vaccines, restoring humanity and adding hope in a time where that sentiment was easily abandoned. The slower middle section evokes the dichotomy of being together while apart: unsatisfying in one aspect, yet, cherished.

distance | duo for cello and marimba (2016)

This work is for the virtuoso cellist and marimbist, and is inspired by a poem by Miho Nonaka entitled, Distance. This piece was composed in memory of my friend, Roger Lundin.

mi sueño: afro-flamenco, a work for solo piano commissioned by pianist Clare Longendyke, is a part of a series of commissions inspired by Maurice Ravel's five-movement piano suite, Miroirs. My work is a musical response to Alborada del gracioso, the dynamic, virtuosic, Spanish-inspired fourth movement of Miroirs—qualities I reimagined in mi sueño: afro-flamenco. I composed this work during the 2020/2021 global pandemic, a challenging time for our world. The title means "my dream: afro-flamenco" which references my pre-pandemic nostalgia and post-pandemic dreams. It represents my longing to revisit Africa and relive my Nigerian musical heritage, to travel to Spain and once again savor the boundless artistry of flamenco performers, and to experience new places, cultures, and music. This piece is a musical dreamscape that infuses my musical language with African and African-American-inspired rhythms and sonorities, and flamenco musical styles. If you are familiar with Alborada del gracios, you will recognize my nod to the quick castanet-like repeated notes and the dyadic glissandi.

Ritual Dances | for band (2002)

Performed by the Band of the Royal Belgian Navy. Composed and premiered by The United States Army Field Band.

X | for percussion ensemble (2014)

X—not the Roman numeral for 10, or the 24th letter in the alphabet, or the civil rights activist, but the Greek symbol for Christ—is inspired by the text of an old 19th-century Salvation Army hymn, Christ is All. The verses were penned by Herbert Howard Booth, the son of William Booth (founder of The Salvation Army church), and W. H. Williams wrote the words to the chorus. The Salvation Army as a religious and social movement that began in Victorian England and was founded with the purpose of helping and spreading the Christian message to the lowest of society: the homeless, the poor, the drunks, the harlots, etc. In this work, I wanted to musically evoke the hustle and bustle of mid-19th century London, propelled, in part, by the industrial revolution, including the darker side of that era: drunkenness, hopelessness, and despair. This work is rhythmically complex and sonically harsh. As the piece progresses, slowly the beautiful hymn, by which the piece was inspired, enters in and ultimately takes over—serene and peaceful—musically evoking the sacred notion that while we live in a world full of darkness, it’s the love and grace of Christ that is our light, our hope, our peace.

ΨΑΛΜΟῚ ΚΑῚ ὝΜΝΟΙ ΚΑῚ ὨΙΔΑῚ ΠΝΕΥΜΑΤΙΚΑΊ | FOR SOLO PIANO (2011

This is the dynamic and graceful performance of the my work for solo piano, ψαλμοὶ καὶ ὕμνοι καὶ ᾠδαὶ πνευματικαί, performed Iris Cheng

 I. Ede Ede (Nigeria) ...an ostinato – attacca

II. Bringing in the Sheaves (U.S.A.) ...a variation

III. Jisasi Fukemino (Papua New Guinea)...an impromptu 

This work was composed for and premiered by my friend, pianist Sha Wang Luangkesorn, in 2011, and commissioned by Geneva College.