About the works: The pieces compiled in this CD span for a period of almost four years, from “Punto y Línea” and “Refraction I,” which I wrote during my last year of the doctoral program at the University of Missouri at Kansas City to “Grosso”, which I wrote during my time as professor at LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis, TN. I consider myself very lucky to be able to collaborate with such talented musicians. All the pieces included in this CD were written with these specific performers in mind. Although all the pieces included are very different, they all focus on similar musical principles. The idea of time as a flexible entity is one that permeates my recent work. I am constantly exploring new ways to organize music in time and to contrast meter with sections where time becomes fluid. The juxtaposition of melodic material with sections of noise and the exploration of timbre as a central feature are also fundamental to my musical discourse. I hope people find my work to be diverse, varied, moving and perhaps disturbing. Refraction I (2008) “Refraction I” integrates two musical eras and practices separated by hundreds of years: medieval chant and contemporary electroacoustic music. I used compositional techniques from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, specifically the borrowing of the antiphon and psalm Vota Mea Domino Reddam. The chant is presented in its original, paraphrased and transformed versions, working parallel to the morphological transformations in the electronic media I was attracted to this chant melody because of its simplicity and beauty. The lyric quality of the first movement and the beauty of the chant setting are contrasted by the virtuosity and the use of noise in the second and third movements. By incorporating elements from diverse musical cultures and time periods, “Refraction I” creates a unique and personal sound world, which aims to the musical future by being rooted in the distant musical past. “Refraction I” was written for Mauricio Salguero and was submitted as part of my dissertation project at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Punto y Línea (Point and line) (2007), “The geometric point is an invisible thing. Therefore, it must be defined as an incorporeal thing. Considered in terms of substance, it equals zero. […] Thus we look upon the geometric point as the ultimate and most singular union of silence and speech. The geometric point has, therefore, been given its material form, in the first instance, in writing. It belongs to language and signifies silence…” Point and line to plane Wassily Kandinsky “Punto y linea” explores the creation of multiple and simultaneous musical lines by the proliferation of points, which are set to motion, covering the musical space. Like characters in a play, each line in turn is differentiated from the others by its range, function and timber, which help define their role and character in order to reinforce their individuality. The result is a work where the flutist becomes soloist and accompanist at the same time. “Punto y Línea” was written for Rebecca Ashe, who has performed it extensively in the U.S and abroad. Ariel (2009) Ariel is a flying spirit who appears on William Shakespeare's play "The Tempest." Ariel is Prospero's slave and serves as his eyes and ears, cruising throughout the island, plotting and creating mischief. Ariel has traditionally been depicted as an aerodynamic, swift character. Ariel is the embodiment of freedom, which has been enslaved and forced to become a servant. But who is really in command Ariel or Prospero? The air like quality of this piece is an aural representation of Ariel. I sampled folk flutes from New Zealand, Mexico and Egypt, and those sounds became the basis for the electronic elements. At times, the acoustic western flutes are required to imitate those folk timbres. The music also portrays the grandeur and powerful character of Ariel, the spirit's strength and its quest for freedom. Ariel was written for Lisa Bost and Carla Reese and has enjoyed successful performances in contemporary music festivals in London and across the U.S. Plastic Time (Tiempo Plástico) (2009) The title of the piece refers to the notion that time travels at a constant and continuous speed. The speed of light marks the top speed that matter can travel before disintegrating and converting into energy. But what if time was a fluid event that could expand and contract at will? In music, time is traditionally subdivided in groups of pulsations that remain constant throughout a piece of music. In “Plastic Time,” time behaves capriciously. The piece alternates sections with continuous pulsations with sections of fluid time. At times each performer has to maintain an independent tempo and accelerate or decelerate independently from the other performer. Plastic Time was written for Mary Elizabeth Thompson-Meyer and Daniel Vega Albela. Grosso (2010) “Grosso” is a concerto for solo trombone and fixed electronic media. The piece was written for trombonist Anthony Williams, who excels at both jazz and contemporary classical music. “Grosso” explores the use of improvisation within a controlled musical environment. Improvisation was a large part of musical life in the Renaissance and Baroque periods, and I believe it can also have an important role in modern music. This piece alternates fully written out sections with sections of controlled improvisation and sections of melodic material with sections of noise and sound effects. A friend described the sounds of “Grosso” as “clowns being slaughtered”.