From 2006 to 2017, my family endeavored to visit all 50 US state capitols - not just the cities themselves, but the very state houses! To commemorate this wealth of childhood experiences, my sister and I recently compiled a photo album of us in front of every building, and I wrote this piece to accompany the digital slideshow. I decided to expand the tune of a short old piece of mine, "Memories of Good," into this affectionate suite. Like my sister and I on all those family adventures, the melody grows and develops, stated first in solo clarinet, then passionately in strings, then fragmented vivaciously in piano and percussion, and finally, with extreme nostalgia in an intimate brass chorale.

Dedicated to my parents, Jon and Irene Schmidt.

Months in the making, this arrangement of one of Chopin's most popular works translates his virtuosic piano writing into the dynamic and timbrally-rich strokes of the symphony orchestra. Ever since I learned and performed the Ballade, I have heard in the accompaniment of its A theme pizzicato strings, in its brilliant rendition of the B theme a brass fanfare, and in its coda the rousing chaos of dozens of musicians primed to snap... and so the list goes on. Motivated by an orchestration assignment to realize at last this years-long dream, I have transformed the Ballade into a bubbling, rumbling orchestral force.

Amid the rapid technological advances of recent centuries, humanity conceived the radical idea of bridging the gap between earth and sky. Restless on this earth and curious about the world above, our race yearned for flight. Eventually, mankind brought forth vessels capable of conquering this hitherto untouchable realm, and from that moment onward, the heavens were ours for the taking. Somos Cielo (which means "We Are Sky" in Spanish) taps into this particular journey of humanity, envisioning mankind's glee at finally touching the sky. Silky string harmonies summon our wonder of the heavens, jaunty woodwind melodies recall our ambitions, and spirited brass fanfares celebrate our technological achievements.

The Christian faith places great emphasis on humanity's inability to save itself from eternal death. In fact, Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is the only means by which sinful souls can hope to achieve everlasting life. The hymns My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less, Be Still, My Soul, and When Peace Like a River sum up this message beautifully, making clear the relief that believers have in Jesus. Recognizing the hymn texts' similar affirmations, I have brought together their tunes in this work for harp and strings, uniting them through a recurring theme synthesized from every melody (of which My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less has two). It is my hope that the piece communicates the same messages of hope, comfort, joy, and peace.

Dedicated to my father.

The moment a person achieves his or her potential, there is an overwhelming sense of joy and pride in the accomplishment. However, the moment would hold little meaning were it not for the chain of events that led the individual to that specific point in his or her life. So too unfolds this piece: a sequence of motifs, perhaps representing the ups and downs of a grand journey, gives the climactic conclusion its power and air of finality.