Snow | Wind | Ice | Tranquility
FLUTE, CLARINET, ALTO SAXOPHONE, BASS CLARINET, PIANO, PERCUSSION | 7’ | DIFFICULTY - MEDIUM | 2021
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Living in Petoskey, I witness Lake Michigan as a resort destination every year. Countless vacationers arrive in the region for the temperate summer months, eager to go swimming, boating, fishing, or anything in between. The calm waters are soothing, and the high-intensity waves are thrilling.
Fast forward into the winter months, when the Little Traverse Bay becomes a desolate, frozen masterpiece. The constant crash of waves against the lighthouse transforms into a giant, icy overhang. All shoreline plants resemble spiky, crystalized sculptures. The quiet lapping of waves becomes silent and petrified. The horizon basically becomes a desert landscape of snow.
Commissioned by the Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble, Snow | Wind | Ice | Tranquility is a piece that sonically depicts the lessvacationed atmosphere of Lake Michigan — particularly the Little Traverse Bay — in its icy condition. Sometimes there's a soft, still snowfall, and other times winds are howling over the frozen waters. But even while temperatures are painfully frigid, the lake remains an exquisite sight for the eyes in its icy, tranquil state.
Commissioned and Premiered by the Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble.