Ticking Time Bomb

Chamber Orchestra Version:

Instrumentation: 1 flute (doubles alto flute), 1 oboe, 1 baritone sax, 1 B-flat clarinet (doubles bass clarinet), 1 contrabassoon, 1 horn, 1 C trumpet, 1 bass trombone, 1 tuba, 2 percussion, 1 harp, 1 piano, 2 violin, 1 viola, 1 cello, 1 bass

World Premiere: Northwestern University Contemporary Music Ensemble; Ludwig Carrasco (conductor); April 21, 2018; Galvin Recital Hall, Northwestern University

Full Orchestra Version:

Instrumentation: 3[2picc. 3a.fl].3.3[3 b. cl.]3 - 4.3.3.1 - timp.3 perc - hp. pno. - strings

Recording: Reading from Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra; Pablo Devigo-Vázquez (conductor); July 19, 2018; Harris Hall, Aspen

World Premiere: Minnesota Orchestra; Osmo Vänskä (conductor); January 10, 2020; Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis

Duration: 6 minutes

Program Notes:

People are on edge, whether it is sparked by grave national issues such as gun control or immigration, or not quite such life and death issues, including the furor over Starbucks’ holiday cup decorations, appropriate dog breeds, or celebrities’ clothes. The climate is explosive and anything could trigger it.

As I was completing this piece, Northwestern University experienced a lock down, and the building in which I live was the epicenter of a shooting threat that later was revealed to be a hoax. My thoughts fluctuated wildly as my colleagues and I barricaded ourselves in a music office while we struggled to finish our meeting.

My piece depicts being on the verge of nearly exploding. Sometimes, the harder a person tries to control oneself, the closer the person comes to detonating. Ultimately, the piece does completely lose control and implodes.