I've been composing music for decades. You can listen to several of these compositions in the CD section.
Based on the deaths of several children who died tragically. Listening to one of the eulogies, I was struck with what the pastor said, "God does not take, God receives". This left me with an indelible, seared, impression. I've done my best to try and capture the life of these children, their parent's grieve, sadness, the innocence, and bitter-sweat memories while musically (unwilling at times) returning their pure souls to God. There is a sense of pull, and I use the full tessitura (instrument's range) in order to create wide emotions. The conclusion of this composition musically restates the paster's words.
A very early composition. Three movements comprise this work based on the subjects of Love, Solitude, and Death. The text is written by myself and another composer.
"Twilight into Nights" is a two movement work. A very serene and peaceful composition. The voice occasionally acts like an instrument. The entire composition is comprised of minor 2nds, major 7ths, and tri-tones. The harmonic structure is based on two juxtaposed whole-tone scales.
J.S. Bach is one of my favorite composers, and during his life he acknowledged that many of his compositions were to honor God. I tried to emulate this by composing a piece that would honor God in a similar way. This did not go the way that I planned. Having struggled with my faith for decades the composition turned out differently and raised questions: the holocaust, slavery, cruelty, despair - where is God in all of this? (I've had tons of conversations over many years with priests, rabbis, nuns, buddhists monks, atheists, etc., yet only to be further beguiled by books such as When Bad Things Happen to Good People and Mere Christianity.)
It was time to decide: God either exists or not. Technically, in order to play this piece well, one may have to be a virtuoso. (I refer to the technique used as "walking on egg-shells".) It is in the form an ostinato (downward harmonics) with an accompanying bass line. The mid-section is comprised of E minor and B-flat major to create a bi-tonality with tension. This together with the simulation of a clock (think of the 60-minutes clock) represents a decision. Near the conclusion there is a difficult chord to execute with a dissonant (misplaced) chord, which is resolved back to the opening musical statement.
I traveled to Ireland several years ago and fell in love with its people, rich history, and their struggle. After a very long and hard trip, and sleeping only for few hours, I went to St. Stephens' Green and saw the last set (band) - The Dubliners perform Molly Malone. I began to research her folklore and how it related to Ireland, particularly Dublin. My composition is based on this impression and the form is loosely based on a theme and variations. I sometimes take liberal freedom with the melody. This is mostly an etude in harmonics with left-hand slurs (hammered). I try and capture her haunting persona.
A multi-movement guitar-like concerto with a contemporary style. The guitar influences its personality on all instruments, structure, style, technique, etc. (Have you every heard a harpist swap chordal harmonics with a guitarist, or a cellist play a rasgueado?) One of my more avant-garde compositions.
My first solo guitar composition, which is a one movement work. A poignant, beautiful, piece, and is a nostalgic remembrance of love.
A two movement work for solo guitar. A dark fantasy-like piece, which simulates a dream-like state particularly in the second movement.
"Lord Direct Us" is from the office of the black mass (Catholic funeral with latin text). I have several versions: voice accompella, voice and computer, 16 voice accompella, and a version for voice and guitar.
Originally written for piano, this is transcribed and modified for two guitars. The composition is almost exclusively pizzicato throughout.
"Surviving the Assassination of a Poet" is based on the assassination of Federico Garcia Lorca. The poem is written by Robert Vivona, a former mentor, effective teacher, wonderful mathematician, scholar, and a terrific poet. I love many of Bob's poems.
Inspired by Misery, Anton Chekhov's short-story of a father and his deep despair for his dead son. The composition is very short, but I use phrasing and "compositional pace" to give the illusion of an elongated time (e.g. John Cage's early work The Cage for prepared piano).
"Farewell to The Essence of Beauty" was originally written as a lament to personal loss. It has come to symbolize the people, places, and things that have gradually disappeared or changed beyond recognition in my life. It's really a lament to the inevitable losses outside our control. I consider this to be one of my master works for solo guitar.
One of my earlier compositions, a two movement work with a modern harmony and light percussion. There is a periodic dialogue between the guitar and viola, and the guitar's 6th string is tunned to an E flat.
About the lose of family. There is a dramatic climax of rasgueados and the trill with harmonics is technically challenging. Closing cadence: a very beautiful, dissonant, harmonic chord.
Inspired by Anton Webern's 6 Bagatelles and his 5 Movements (both for string quartet). My composition is in 5 movements and originally scored for guitar, mandolin, violin and cello. It is a pointillistic work, which mimics the compositional palette of Webern. (Who is one of my earlier influences.) This piece is unified by the repetitions of certain pitches, intervals, motives, and texture. Only the first movement is serial (12-tone) oriented.
A one movement work with a haunting character. The left-hand percussion with a right-hand arpeggiated chord at the 2/3rds section mid-point of the composition achieves a dramatic effect with respect to crescendo while the arpeggios evoke a rain-like atmosphere. Alot of folks apparently like this piece.
Based on the life (lives) of someone that I love and admire a great deal, this mutli-movement composition represents her life and struggle. I've attempted to combine western and eastern philosophies into a cohesive piece. Elements of Christian and Buddhist principles are also infused. I use several unique guitar techniques (and may have invented two guitar techniques in the process). One of my favorite compositions achieving what I believe is a real sense of space and time while reflecting a meditative conscience.
"Tears of the World", a composition that I am presently working on, is based on the 9/11 tragedy and dedicated to the victims and their families. This latin phrase can be traced throughout the centuries mainly in literature and art. The guitar controls, generates, and interacts with a virtual orchestra. This composition is a musical re-creation of what happened on that horrific day and is ecumenical - not political. The poem is written by Robert Vivona. (I've been involved with computer-generated compositions for decades, but oddly have never developed any algorithms for guitar compositions. This is my first composition in this genre.)
Dedicated to my wife on the occasion of our marriage. A very calm, loving, and peaceful composition. The chordal sweep of right-hand harmonics at the (pen-ultimate) cadence point is technically very challenging to execute. The piece concludes with a single-line phrase with vibrato.
"Dark Tango in Red" is a composition that I am presently working on. It includes many elements with respect to its fabric: Tango as an art-form in the sense of its lascivious nature and origin (dance), Romanian Gypsies (music), and the notion of Good vs Evil (sin). After hearing Anne Rice's description of a vampire who lives only in the dark as a diabolical creature in tandem with loneliness and contempt (i.e. not in the light), I knew I had all of the elements to complete my story. The audience (listeners) act as a form of protagonists while the performer (guitarist) acts as the antagonist. Dramatic rasguedos, huge finger-board and body power slaps, violent heel jabs, creepy quarter-tone melodies, an unusual scordatura (alternative tuning), etc., are used through-out in order to re-create a sultry, lustful, and macabre charter who wants to be loved (redemption) yet will always remain unforgiven (dammed). Someday, I would like to see this performed with guitar and dance as well. I'm wondering if I should also score this for a Les-Paul with a double-stack Marshall?
