Orchestral Music

Sawing strings, blaring brass, and pulsating percussion drive forward this piece in an exploration of 7/8 time and the deepest feelings of persistence. Strident at first, the music eventually caves in upon itself, drawing parallels to the not uncommon experience of overexerting one's self to the point of physical and mental collapse. A melancholic section follows, but it is not to linger long; the atmosphere soon shifts to brighter swells that foreshadow a return to form. Indeed, the piece closes with a refrain of the opening material, driving the listener to structural and emotional closure.

This piece bears the melodic and harmonic characteristics of a chorale tune but sounds nothing like one with its blockbuster-level instrumentation and orchestration. As such, I struggled to title this piece. What was it? What was I trying to say with it? Why did I write it? Eventually, I settled for the idea of an impetus, a force that makes something happen. This could be anything, from a rocket burning to create thrust to a person inviting you to a movie to get you out of the house. But without an actual impetus for writing this piece, the meaning of it is truly left to the listener and his imagination.

Tragedy striking out of nowhere. Unexpected rejection in life and career aspirations. Spontaneous moments of crisis in religion or creed. All of us have experienced times of abrupt uncertainty that leave us utterly drained in mind and body, unsure of what to do next, where to go, who to talk to. This piece is inspired by those moments where, caught completely off-guard by a sudden turn of events, we cannot help but dwell on our darker thoughts. Persistently low in instrument registers, ambiguous in harmonic and tonal language, and sifting between electronic and acoustic textures, the music labors to escape its dour beginnings much like we struggle to rise above our most substantial pitfalls.

This collection of hybrid pieces explores the intensity that develops from a combination of irregular rhythms and rhythmic layering. Neither trailer tracks nor cinematic cues, these works are simply experiments with various fundamental musical materials, evoking at most a vague essence of their science- and technology-influenced titles.

Tracks:

01 Surface Tension  [ 02:30 ]

02 Arc's Edge  [ 02:41 ]

03 Interminable Orbit  [ 03:23 ]

04 Ricochet  [ 02:44 ]

05 Emanate  [ 03:00 ]

06 Polar Particle  [ 03:12 ]

07 Lightspeed  [ 02:54 ]

08 Trajectory  [ 02:42 ]

09 Volatile Ripple  [ 02:57 ]

10 Perpetuation  [ 02:54 ]

This piece, created for the 2021 Score the World Competition, was my winning cue for the final clip of the 2015 Oscar-winning film Son of Saul. Perceiving mostly sadness throughout the scene (as the protagonist Saul had just lost his son's body), I set to work creating a cue that drew attention to Saul's grief and despair above all else. The crux of my composition is the solo cello theme that plays as Saul sits bitterly in the shed.

Imagine feeling yourself drift away from this life. Eyes squeezed shut and mind racing with fear of the unknown, your soul leaves the death and despair of Earth and arrives... somewhere. You cautiously open your eyes and see before you the most beautiful landscape imaginable. The sight leaves you breathless in awe, and you wonder where you have ended up. As you gaze upon paradise, you perceive someone calling you by name. Turning, you see a figure with His hand outstretched, and it finally hits you that this is life after death. Without hesitation, you take the hand of your Creator and smile at the anticipation of an eternity with Him.

This piece was my first experiment working compositionally with a new sonic palette put together after months of researching, acquiring, and testing virtual instruments and plugins, hence its Latin title meaning "new'.  Fundamentally, the work was not altogether novel, as its motivic ideas and harmonic progression were derived from my two previous "Novo" pieces. However, the realization of my developing hybrid style through new software, combined with new musical complexities, resulted in a piece quite unlike anything I had written before. 

This piece, created for Spitfire Audio's Westworld Scoring Competition, was my take on the car chase cue from the fifth episode of Westworld season 3. Inspired by the music backing major action set pieces in films such as Mission Impossible: Fallout and Transformers, I centered the score around a multi-ensemble percussion section and incisive low-brass motives. The goal was a Balfe-/Jablonsky-style composition founded on traditional orchestration with splashes of electronics and extended techniques to emphasize the unique futuristic elements of the scene.

The driving principle behind this piece is frenetic division, hence its title. A fast tempo in irregular meter establishes the idea from the very beginning, manifested further by sliding leads and punching percussion. As the piece progresses, even more instruments are added, culminating in a finale of full orchestra, synths, and a distortion guitar for good measure!

This is the background track for science fiction virtual reality game "Escape from Arcadia", in which the player is tasked with repairing a reactor before an alien hunts him or her down. In order to capture the powerful, creeping effect called for by the producer of the game, I experimented a lot with pitch bend, panning, and noise synthesizers.

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.

Catastrophic events always result in loss of life; graveyards get a little bigger and families a little smaller. Survivors have a choice to make: do they let such tragedies overwhelm them in depression and grief for the rest of their lives, or do they rise from their sorrows and rebuild? This piece, from its mourning strings to its soaring brasses, follows those individuals who choose to move on, though what was lost will never be forgotten.

Any society in which rulers unjustly use their power to oppress their subjects is bound to breed resistance. This resistance must work in secret and strike with precision and effectiveness for it to have any chance of success. The electronic portions of this piece convey the covert operations of such an organization, while the orchestral sections pay tribute to the heroism of people standing up to tyrants.

This piece was the 2018 remake of my first composition from 2013: a theme for a fictional superhero team. Synthesizer arpeggios and atmospheric nuances are used throughout, while a brass fanfare of the original melody still anchors the piece.

5 years. 5 albums. 100 pieces. 100 subscribers: this piece was composed to celebrate a variety of accomplishments that happened to coincide at the end of July 2018. "Five Score" encapsulates all these milestones, not only in name (an old-fashioned way of saying 100), but in content (the themes of each of the five albums released up to that point have their moments to shine).

Written as a musical reaction to Presidents' Day, this piece strives for a noble and uplifting atmosphere with a pinch of solemnity to pay homage to America's greatest leaders. Though far from faultless, these individuals remain in our history books for their unparalleled contributions to society that have lasted for generations. One could say the same thing about the orchestra: while it is stylistically limited like any ensemble, it has nevertheless endured for centuries.

Septicemia is blood poisoning, especially that caused by bacteria or their toxins, and I thought that term an ironically academic title for what is, in essence, a zombie origin story cue. Directed to make a classic symphonic score in the vein of a Spielberg/Williams collaboration, I focused on two pillars of that musical school: dark suspense through meandering melodies in the lower regions of the orchestra, and intense panic via rapid runs of the treble instruments.

This piece is a weighty orchestral take on the musical materials of J. S. Bach's Prelude and Fugue in C Minor. While the Prelude serves as rhythmic and harmonic engine to the work, the subject and motives of the countersubject from the Fugue slot in as melodic points of interest. Their stellar combination is less a testament to my abilities and more so the genius of Bach to write two halves of a whole, stylistically very different but musically inextricable.

If there's one thing the director wanted this music to sound like, it was Indiana Jones. Taking that as my cue to write a score dripping with the sound signature of John Williams, I did my very best to capture his iconic style through florid orchestral exploration of a central theme tied inextricably to the protagonist. This theme, rhythmically and structurally derived from Indiana Jones, calls attention to both the adventure tale of the film and the whimsical idea of a boy chasing his imagination.

Tracklist:

01 Found  [ 04:26 ]

02 Homestead Explorer  [ 00:31 ]

Given a week to write this score, I put it together in just one day! This was made possible by a small orchestral instrumentation I used to balance calm, friendly music with more somber underscore as asked for by the director. As tension builds in the latter half of the film, however, the ensemble demonstrates the might it can attain, much like the protagonist as he conquers his fears and expels the unwelcome intruder.

Tracklist:

01 Just Stress  [ 03:09 ]

02 Just A Ghost  [ 01:36 ]

Working on a project late at night and hearing of others struggle with their own at a similar hour inspired this piece, a brief reflection on the titular feeling. The opening harmonies are gloomy, drawing their emotive force from the exhausted kind of frustration we feel when something takes much longer than it should. However, horns and winds signal a glimmer of grim determination to press on, and as the piece settles on a pedal tone, a sense of productivity grows. Eventually, resolution is found, suggesting that even if the project is not yet completed, a desire and motivation to do so has returned.

This piece is my take on the underscore accompanying an argument scene in "Steve Jobs" (2015). Featuring the ambient string textures and subtle modal shifts that have become a staple of my minimalist aesthetic, the cue seeks to emphasize the prevailing feelings of betrayal and nostalgia put forth by Steve Wozniak in the scene. Solo woodwinds are also added later to add a light, more wistful quality to the otherwise brooding music that came before.

This work is my take on the title sequence music of Marvel's "What If...?". Sensing a missed opportunity to riff on the heroic tune that plays during Marvel Studios' introductory logo reel, the cue opens with a rendition of that melody but in minor key and slightly offset fashion. As the universe fractures into multiple realities on-screen, the music follows suit, exploring various keys and rhythmic motifs amidst competing meters. The piece builds to a raucous orchestral tutti for the reveal of the series title logo.

Cinematic Scenes is a trio of short pieces written to demonstrate my film scoring abilities for my senior capstone project. Taking on Western, romantic, and horror styles of film music, each cue cuts straight to the point of capturing a genre-defining moment whilst trying to maintain musical interest in structure, harmony, and orchestration.

Movements:

I. By Steed and Rail (Western)  [00:57]

II. A Half Made Whole (Romance)  [01:20]

III. Dread of Distress (Horror)  [01:20]

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.

Life is full of transitions, and for many of us, some of the bigger transitions involve moving from one region and way of life to another and entirely new one. This piece captures the early moments of a new journey: the excitement at starting something new and the dreams that we hope to pursue. However, it also offers a tinge of nostalgia for that which we leave behind, the good memories that cannot be replaced by new experiences.

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.

Twelve of the best-known stellar constellations serve as the inspiration for each of the twelve movements in this suite. The primary goal of the project was to explore a wide variety of styles, techniques, and moods within the string medium. The movements of Volume II were written with university and professional orchestras in mind. As such, more advanced aspects of the strings are touched upon, including harmonics (Scorpius), scalar runs (Lyra), sul tasto (Aquarius), and tone clusters (Cassiopeia).

Movements:

VII. Scorpius  [ 02:40 ]

VIII. Lyra  [ 02:49 ]

IX. Cygnus  [ 04:10 ]

X. Aquarius  [ 04:01 ]

XI. Cassiopeia  [ 01:43 ]

XII. Aries  [ 03:52 ]

This piece, created for Orchestral Tools and StaffPad's Outside Competition, was inspired by the feelings I experienced as I toured the Misty Fiords National Monument by floatplane. The landscape is already breathtaking from a distance, but the low flightpath between mountains and just over waterways transforms the scene into a truly tangible affair. This total immersion is captured by melting the many colors of the orchestra into one continuous stream of blissful, wonderstruck melody.

Plorate Filii Israel is the final section of Giancomo Carissimi's early Baroque oratorio Jephte. Originally for six voices and basso continuo, the work's descending bassline and cascading phrases amongst the upper voices do well to capture the grief of Jephte as he is forced to sacrifice his daughter to fulfill his vow to the Lord. Carissimi's masterpiece bears many similarities to the sorrowful cues of today's films, so it seemed like a logical step to arrange it for the engine of modern cinematic affect: strings.

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.

This offshoot from The Kingdom Suite offers more structured and thematically unified versions of the first two movements so that they are able to stand on their own in a concert setting. The original narrative of a king losing his kingdom and his son taking it back still influence the work but to a lesser degree. The latter two movements of the original suite were omitted as they are less cohesive and also rehash much of the material introduced in the first two.

Movements:

Part I

Part II

Twelve of the best-known stellar constellations serve as the inspiration for each of the twelve movements in this suite. The primary goal of the project was to explore a wide variety of styles, techniques, and moods within the string medium. The movements of Volume I were written with youth orchestras in mind. As such, only fundamental aspects of the strings are touched upon, such as ostinati (Orion), pizzicato (Canis Major), vibrato (Ursa Major), and soloists (Ursa Minor).

Dedicated to my sister.

Movements:

I. Orion  [ 03:22 ]

II. Canis Major  [ 03:05 ]

III. Carina  [ 02:33 ]

IV. Ursa Major  [ 04:19 ]

V. Centaurus  [ 03:32 ]

VI. Ursa Minor  [ 03:33 ]

One of man's greatest achievements was his ascent into the stars. Inspired by Richard Strauss's "Also sprach Zarathustra" and John Stafford Smith's tune in "The Star-Spangled Banner," the melodies and fanfares of this piece attempt to capture the the wonder, pride, and patriotism that millions have felt with every spacecraft launch.

Modeled after the United States national anthem, this piece was written as the national anthem for a fictional Antarctican nation. The work demonstrates the grandeur of the Cold Continent, particularly if it were to rise to global superpower status.

This brief work is intended to convey the tone of an exciting and adrenaline-filled football (soccer) match. Titled Eu Foedus, "The League" in Latin, the piece was originally created as the theme for a fictional Antarctian sports organization of the same name.

Though this piece was composed primarily for Mother's Day, it is also intended to stir up anyone's most cherished memories. The cello and violin melodies are supposed to sound sweet and nostalgic, and the touches of piano and woodwinds tender and emotional. 

Dedicated to my mother.