Cogwork Dancers

A mechanical and emotional theme of four short movements, featuring a güiro as a ticking clock in the background.

Exhaust Organ

Ambient, eerie, and intense score combining three separate themes into one.

City of Tears

Stunningly majestic and serene, a beautiful violin and piano feature.

Trobbio

Flamboyant and high-energy, a technically demanding piano feature.

Silk & Soul

Combining the main theme with Lace and Lost Lace, a grandiose theme capturing the game's narrative.

Skarrsinger Karmelita

A beautiful vocal solo I arranged as a flute feature with an intense string tremolo backing.

Clover Dancers

Instense and lush, using the melody of Cogwork Dancers.

Sealed Vessel

A dramatic and heavy score with sections of sorrow and hope, featuring bowed glockenspiel.

Ruby, My Dear

Inspired by both Monk's beautiful solo playing on his aptly named album Solo Monk and Bob Brookmeyer's writing style, I arranged this chart for Ruby, My Dear. It begins (and ends) with a direct transcription from Monk's album because I thought the playing was so moving, and I took a great deal as inspiration for the body of the tune. After the introduction, I use quiet ensemble unison lines against moving sax and trombones. Further, I frequently use 6/4 to break up the time and to feel more push-and-pull. In the middle, it goes into double time over a soprano solo break.

The Glove

Written by Marvin Hamlisch, The Glove is a rag that was originally composed for the movie The Sting. The movie features other rags, however, like Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag and The Entertainer. I wrote this arrangement just for fun beacuse I liked the tune. In doing so, I tried to make the chart a little more modern, blending the two elements of old ragtime and modern, more "floaty" sections. Throughout the entire score, it edges on the listener with these breakout sections, eventually climaxing in an ensemble shout, a retelling of the melody.

Grand Central

After revisiting this very dark tune, I realized it could make for a very fun uptempo chart. Littered with minor-6th and dominant-seven-flat-five chords, the tune became a high-energy swing and samba score, featuring simultaneous drum and alto solos. The beginning of the tune was inpsired by Thad Jones' Us with a first reed solo followed by an ensemble shout. Further, I continued to add a lot of development behind the soloists, trying to leave lots of open space while still moving towards the climax. Altogether, I am pleased with the final chart.

Cherokee

Cherokee is a really beautiful tune that is typically played at blisteringly fast tempos. In this arrangement however, I try to isolate the natural, longing character of the tune in the form of a ballad, only then transitioning to uptempo swing once the melody has been overstated. The break (and the sax soli) is a fun excerpt from Clifford Brown's performance of the same song on his memorial album. I am quite proud of the meat of this chart, but it starts falling apart towards the end. After writing this chart on-and-off for a few weeks, I needed to move on to something new.

T2

For the Airmen of Note's Sammy Nestico Award, I composed this piece. It was supposed to be a more Maria-Schneider-type piece as I was really into her music at the time. I struggled greatly trying to emulate her drawn-out development style, and hence I am dissatisfied with the final chart. Despite this, it helped me better grasp the concept of development in a big band piece. In the score itself, I tried to display the texture brought by wind doublings and muted brass. It features harmon and flute doubling the melody with frequent staggered chords.

Ballad to Nowhere

I wrote this score for the Essentially Ellington Composition Competition to improve my own composition skills. It is a slow swing ballad featuring a Johnny Hodges style saxophone solo. I took inspiration from Ellington's own ballads, notably Isfahan and Stardust. It recieved nines on style, form, and melody, and sevens for orchestration and harmony. When I was writing this piece, I was in a very emotional state, and I think that came through in the final score. Altogether, I am very happy with it and am excited to continue next year.

Vento Brasileiro

This score is originally based on a song of the same name from Mario & Sonic at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. It is a high-energy brazilian tune with a syncopated melody and fun harmony. In my arrangement, I start in a slower rhumba feel with a flugel solo, and then transition to the more lively samba style of the original song. It is important to not underestimate the power of the auxiliary percussion in this arrangement because it is the supportive backing for the entire song that contextualizes the genre. It is one of my favorite arrangements I have made so far.

My Favorite Things

Based on John Coltranes' famous recording of My Favorite Things, I wrote this chart using his form and his changes. However, the twist is that my arrangement is mostly written in 5/4. I put most of my effort into making sure that the 5/4 felt natural, or at least intentional, and I achieved the effect well in my opinion. At the climax, the changes open up and it changes to 5/4, creating a more floaty feel that feels like it is stumbling forward. If I were to do something similar again, I would quote parts of the original Coltrane solo in the score.

Christmas Time

While titled Christmas Time, this chart actually includes Pure Imagination and Paint it Black. This crazy ten minute score is my longest and features orchestra, a choir, and a big band section. I focused much of my energy into the transitions so that they would feel smooth and not like three different songs. In the big band section, it goes from a 3/4 ballad to a 4/4 up-tempo swing feel while trying to keep the melody (Christmas Time) intact. Ultimately, I am quite happy with the final result and I learned a lot about composing for a choral and orchestral setting from this.

A Night in Tunisia

A Night in Tunisia was one of my first big band arrangments I ever wrote. I did not really know what I was doing, but I enjoyed it enough to keep going. It is a standard afro-cuban piece with a swing interlude to break up the straight feel. My arrangement also features a trombone soloist. As far as A Night in Tunisia arrangements typically go, this one is not the most innovative, but it serves its purpose well enough to be a playable big band chart.

National Park Theme

This score is my first video game big band arrangement. I wrote it in one weekend and it I enjoyed working on it. The National Park Theme is from Pokemon Gold/Silver and the song is really pretty. It is an emotional ballad following the form of A A B, going to a more positive swing feel on the bridged. To capture this, I tried to emphasize the modal quality of the original harmony with the band holding out long drawn-out notes. It has an alto saxophone feature and frequent tempo changes to keep it from being too boring.

Well You Needn't

I wrote this quasi-big-band chart originally for my dad's birthday, when I was just beginning to enter the world of big band arranging. Well You Needn't is a famous Thelonius Monk tune that is very modal, providing a harmonic base for the entire chart. I am suprisingly shocked with the saxophone soli at the B section as the harmonies are accurate and the horizontal lines flow nicely. I also thought the key change was pretty tasteful as well.

Cruella de Vil

As a challenge for myself, I wrote this tune in only one day. It is a moderate swing chart with a bass clarinet and harmon trumpet doubling that together creates a really interesting sound in my opinion. In this chart, I wanted to capture a Sammy Nestico style chord progression and overall feel. There is also a metric moludation from 4/4 to 3/4 during the solo. Considering the time frame, I think the results were really good.