COMPOSITIONS
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Finding Breath
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Chaparral
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Finding Breath
"Finding Breath" is a work for violin and piano with live effects processing, composed in 2018. The work was composed for Rafael Liebich, Alex Russell and the People Inside Electronics concert series in Los Angeles. While much of the work is fast paced, energetic and unstopping, the title refers to passages that take place in the middle of the piece, where both instruments gradually settle down and find a gesture that deliberately imitates deep breaths in and out. I suppose this is my attempt to find some inner calm in a frenzied 2018; I hope perhaps you may find the same. Alex Russell, violin Rafael Liebich, piano Alexander Elliott Miller, electronics |
Chaparral
Chaparral is a duo for alto saxophone and classical guitar, commissioned for the 2020 California tour of the Duo Montagnard, the duo of Joseph Murphy and Matt Slotkin. The word “chaparral” itself refers to the ecosystem, mostly short shrubs and bushes, that cover much of the dry, open and undeveloped inland Southern California territories. The shrubs themselves are dry, fast growing and burn easily, making them particularly prone to California wildfires. Covering approximately 5% of the state of California, I named this piece Chaparral in honor of the Duo Montagnard’s tour through the southern California region. Joseph Murphy, saxophone Matthew Slotkin, guitar |
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Actions & Resonances
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Dewdrops: Songs for D. Elliott Wilbur
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Actions & Resonances
Actions & Resonances is a stand-alone fast movement for piano composed in 2005. The title is abstract, describing the primary characteristics of the work’s sound: sharp, crisp and percussive musical gestures that are occasionally interrupted by gentler, resonant chords, which almost seem like distant echoes. The piece even moves into jazzy territory in its middle section. At its conclusion, its energy dissipates, the forward rhythmic motion dies away and the percussive gestures disappear, replaced by fragments of earlier motives that dissolve into silence. Nic Gerpe, piano |
DEWDROPS: Songs for D. Elliott Wilbur
Dewdrops is a song cycle for soprano and electric guitar, commissioned by Ariel Pisturino, and dedicated to the memory of my grandfather, Donald Elliott Wilbur, Jr. My grandfather took a music theory course in college in the 1940's, and his assignments and compositions were saved in the attic for decades; after his death, my grandmother gave those to me, and I adapted, varied and reharmonizes his own melodic shapes for the poems in this work. Ariel Pisturino, soprano Alexander Elliott Miller, guitar |
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Clock Smasher
Clock Smasher
Clock Smasher is a work for piano, four-hands commissioned by my friends, Sarah Gibson and Thomas Kotcheff of HOCKET. The title simply describes various musical characteristics of the work, especially its loud outbursts and its frequent polyrhythms, many of which do have a sort of "tick-tock" quality, like a room full of out of sync clocks. But just as important an inspiration for the piece were Sarah and Thomas themselves. I'd like to think that their personalities and talents have each shaped this piece, every bit as much as an imaginary room full of broken clocks. Sarah Gibson & Thomas Kotcheff, piano Synchromy + HOCKET: Crusoe LA City College, November 5th, 2016 |
88 MPH
88 MPH (2015)
88 MPH is a work for the Magnetic Resonator Piano: a device invented by Andrew McPherson which may be installed into any acoustic grand piano, and expand its sonic capabilities. The piece was commissioned by pianist Nic Gerpe and the People Inside Electronics concert series in Los Angeles. Inspired by the appearance of the apparatus, this work became a tribute to the Back to the Future movies. Nic Gerpe, Magnetic Resonator Piano People Inside Electronics Neighborhood Church of Pasadena April 18th, 2015 |
GUITARIST
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A Procession Winding Around Me: Four Civil War Songs
II. Beat! Beat! Drums! Composer: Jeffrey Van Text: Walt Whitman CSULB Chamber Choir Jon Talberg, conductor Alexander Elliott Miller, classical guitar Los Alamitos United Methodist Church Long Beach, California March 17th, 2017 |
What's Next? Ensemble: JACOB TV: "The News" (excerpts)
Composer: Jacob ter Veldhuis What's Next? Ensemble Vimbayi Kaziboni, conductor Cafe Club Fais Do Do Los Angeles, California March 27th, 2014 |
Solo Guitar Arrangements
In addition to my work as a composer, a hobby that gives me a great deal of joy is arranging my favorite jazz and popular songs for solo guitar. Here are some favorites; a playlist of additional arrangements is on YouTube.
In addition to my work as a composer, a hobby that gives me a great deal of joy is arranging my favorite jazz and popular songs for solo guitar. Here are some favorites; a playlist of additional arrangements is on YouTube.
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