Hello Friends,

Did you hear any interesting sounds this month? My favorite was a large turtle dropping into Lake Roland from a downed log. A satisfying PLOP! 🐢

How is everyone doing with this annual time of transition? September can be a lot. Whether you started at a new school as a student, teacher, or staff member; are a parent and/or a fresh empty-nester; or are cracking open a new concert season, may you find pockets of calm and joy in your days. 🤸🏻‍♂️

The weather is starting its seasonal whiplash here—80s one day, 60s the next. Our hibiscus still has a couple of giant flowers going, and the hummingbirds continue wrangling at their feeder, but the rest of the garden is slowly fading, as is the singing of the crickets and cicadas.

This fall I am teaching a class at the Peabody Institute, which provided a big dose of back-to-school buzz. My “no deadlines” time has been replaced by a blanket of small and frequent deadlines! This is totally okay—it is a very adjunct situation (a remote, “async” class via the Peabody LAUNCHPad program), and the students are great.

Last week I gave a short live performance for the first time in… maybe eight years? My brilliant saxophonist friend Doug O’Connor played two of my works for saxophone + fixed electronics, and then together we played a short structured improvisation (me live-mixing a palette of homemade field recording-based samples & loops in Ableton Live). Although performing onstage is really not my thing, Doug is one of those people who makes everything more fun, so it was fun! I am grateful to John Hoegberg for the invitation to be part of his Peace in the Valley music series, and to my adventurous neighbors and friends who showed up! I love how friendly and open-eared the Baltimore music scene is.

🎵 NEWLY AVAILABLE SCORES 🎵

Ayehli (pronounced ah-YAY-lee) for marimba and fixed electronics is now available! The marimba part includes some structured improvisation, and the electronic part is built from field recordings captured at the Ground Zero site in NYC in December of 2001, as well as pre-recorded marimba material.

Earthmoves for percussion duet is also ready to fly! This is a fun piece inspired by Japanese taiko drumming that is great for both students and professionals. It’s one of my earliest compositions!

🎼 OCTOBER PERFORMANCES 🎼

October 11, 2026
Clarinetist Natalie Groom and her trio Three Reeds and a Horn premiere Sandbox for clarinet in Bb, horn in F, and bassoon at Towson University and at the Collington Senior Living Community. More info here.

✨ A NOTE TO MY PERFORMER FRIENDS ✨
Are you performing my work in the future, or have you in the recent past?
I’d love to hear about it! Reply to this email and I’ll make sure your concert is listed.

☀️ OUT & ABOUT ☀️

🧳 FELLOW TRAVELERS
Travis LaPlante’s composition Running in a Field of Flowers has become one of my favorite pieces. Don’t let that title fool you; it’s intense! And best experienced live (imo), because it tears you open much the way Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians does. I’ve heard the quartet ~Nois play the LaPlante live twice now, and both times it was overwhelming in the best way.

Friend and composer Natalie Draper has a beautiful new album of music for organ called Interlaced.

📚 READING
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin is a dark, intriguing family saga that asks interesting questions about fate.

It’s good to say yes to the fleeting thing. (There’s even a chart to help you decide!)

👀 WATCHING
This 1977 video of Dolly Parton is perfection. That laugh! Those nails! 💅🏻 RIP Dolly. ✨🦋✨

I absolutely love good stand-up comedy, and my go-to these days is Josh Johnson.

😜 SHENANIGANS
This month I will leave you with a haiku:

AI everywhere
Constant game of whack-a-mole
Let’s keep our brains on
💡🧠