TABLE OF CONTENTS
CREATIVE WORKS
SPIRIT (glockenspiel and elec., pg. 1)
A Thousand Fields to Sow, Though Not a Single Found to Reap (cello and elec., pg 13)
Day is Past, Night is Gone (bass drum and elec., pg. 18)
LOCI (drum set and elec., pg 21)
SUPPLEMENTAL ENGINEERING PORTFOLIO
X1: Live Stereo Recording - John Liberatore’s Three Disclaimers
X2: Studio Recording and Mixing - Ricky Bobby’s Nostalgic Pizza
X3: System Design - Las Colonias Ampitheater, Grand Junction, CO
WRITING SAMPLES
Paper 1
Paper 2
Paper 3
CREATIVE WORKS
1. SPIRIT (2025)
Recommended excerpts:
A. Section I in score: 0:00 – 1:30
B. Section III in score: 6:20 – 7:50
This composition was commissioned by Kevin von Kampen and composed/premiered in 2025. While this piece is almost fully notated, I was interested in exploring the symbiotic possibility between the acoustic and electronic, hoping to create a singular voice with the two where you may not immediately identify what source is creating a sound. The electronics include fixed elements deployed with variable elements as well as real-time processing of the acoustic instrument. I used Sibelius and Adobe Illustrator to create the score for this work, and programmed the electronics in Max.
2. A Thousand Fields to Sow, Though Not a Single Found to Reap (2025)
Recommended excerpts:
A. Section I in score: 0:00 – 1:30
B. Section III in score: 6:20 – 7:50
A Thousand Fields to Sow, Though Not a Single Found to Reap was written in 2025, commissioned by cellist Eduard Teregulov. In my initial thinking about the approach to the piece, I knew that I wanted to create a sound world where one may not immediately identify the acoustic instrument of the piece to be a cello, and also that I wanted to explore timbral possibilities outside of those created with standard playing techniques. I also wanted to compose the piece in such a way that the acoustic performance could be the same or different each time and the electronics would respond to that as well. The first substantial section of this piece uses various reverbs and delays to process the sound of percussive tapping on the instrument. I used various reverb types (plate, hall, etc) and worked extensively with the parameters of each to craft the timbre of the reverbs, hoping to create an aesthetic far removed from our expectations of a cello’s sound. The recording I’ve included here is a rough recording I made to demonstrate the electronics and sound worlds created by the piece. I created the score using Adobe Illustrator, with notation and musical elements initially created in Sibelius. The electronics were created in Max.
3. Day is Past, Night Is Gone (2025)
Recommended excerpts:
A.
B.
I wrote Day is Past, Night Is Gone with the intention of providing an open and fluid work that gave the performer significant freedom in their interpretation and have included it here as it represents both of my primary interests: improvisation-composition hybrids, and the fusing of acoustic and digital mediums. The score is defined by different events with an indicated duration range. Each event is triggered by the performer using a footpedal and the electronic sounds are largely created in real-time using live processing and sampling. Kevin has told me that he enjoys the open quality of the work and its ease of executing the electronics.
4. LOCI (2016) [excerpt]
LOCI is one work from a series of improvised compositions written to explore the symbiotic possibilities of acoustic and electronic sounds in an improvised setting. The works feature electronics I have programmed in Pure Data that primarily create material through two ways. The electronics will either 1) “listen to”, react to, or process the sounds of the acoustic drums by using microphones on the kit, or 2) create their own “improvised” material generated using random numbers. The parameters of these random numbers always remain the same, but each realization of the works yield different results.
The improvised compositions of this series employ various structures, forms, and means of sound generation that are largely dictated by the way the electronics are programmed. In some compositions, the electronics serve as a sonic “toolkit” which are capable of producing a great deal of differing sounds with no implications of structure or form. In others, the electronics create a form with a fixed number of events that serve as a backbone for improvising. The work LOCI is one of the latter, where the electronics serve as a sequential, event-based form comprised of 33 micro events that create or process sound in different ways. These events are triggered by the performer and, while always maintaining the same order, have no restrictions in terms of duration.
While this is an older work, it is a strong example of my interest in electroacoustic improvisation. I am interested in continuing to create work in this continuum.
Supplemental Audio Engineering Portfolio
ADDITIONAL ARTIFACTS OUTSIDE OF COMPOSITION AND PERFORMANCE
These examples are representative of my engineering work and demonstrate technical facility that is influential to my work as well. In regard to my application, I would consider these largely supplemental to the above, which should be given priority.
X1. John Liberatore - Live Stereo Recording
This is a stereo recording from Contemporary Art Music Project’s CAMPGround 2024 of John Liberatore’s Three Disclaimers (Movement 2) performed by Sini Virtanen and the USF Percussion Ensemble. My role included recording, light processing, and light sound reinforcement for the violin during the performance.
X2. Ricky Bobby - Nostalgic Pizza Studio Recording
We recorded this as part of a 4-song EP in my personal studio space and I was responsible for both recording and mixing. This is an unmastered recording.
X3. System Design - Las Colonias Ampitheater
This venue is one of, if not the largest, venues in Grand Junction, CO and hosts some of the biggest tours passing through the area. I was tasked with designing a “house” PA speaker system, and saw this project through from design to implementation, working with our L’Acoustics manufacturer consultant to ensure this deployment would be as good as it could get given budgets, available components, physical constraints, etc. I measured the venue physically and then drew the venue using L’Acoustics’ Soundvision software. From there, I used the predictive side of that program to optimize speaker numbers, physical placement, processing, such as EQ, delay, shading, etc for optimal consistent coverage and system response throughout the venue. This was all then physically deployed as a “house package” with networked signal from console to amplified controllers (speaker amps) over a time-sensitive AVB network with analog back up.
WRITING SAMPLES
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