I recently posted a couple new YouTube videos, and I would like to tell you a little about them...
"Once Upon a Time" and "In Your Arms Again" are short piano pieces I composed last year. They were inspired by real-life; a romantic relationship, etc. "Once Upon a Time" (not to be confused with the piece of the same title in Four Miniatures (for Organ)) is a reflection on the day she and I met. "In Your Arms Again" is about Valentine's Day.
Improvisation for Jenny and Sean was recorded for two friends of mine who recently experienced a chain of misfortunes in the space of twenty-four hours. I was at a loss for words when I heard what had happened, so I "spoke" with them and tried to comfort them through this music.
The title of my organ improvisation Facing Yet Another Day of Angst with Dialectical Courage (Part I) was taken directly from a remark I made on Facebook. A friend jokingly suggested it might make a good title for a composition, so I shared the title with this improvisation.
This improvisation takes its inspiration from two sources: one musical and one psychological.
The source of its musical inspiration is, of course, J.S. Bach's "Komm, heiliger Geist" (BWV 651) from Eighteen Chorale Preludes, particularly the pedal in the opening six measures.
The source of the improvisation's psychological inspiration is that of experiencing and coping with clinical depression. The low pedal "C" - which is sustained from beginning to end - represents being anchored down by depression, while the increasingly frenetic and virtuosic manual part represent how life goes on and even passes us by, regardless of our being "down." The increasing energy of the improvisation represents one's efforts to pull oneself out of the depression and move on with life. Ultimately, the improvisation ends triumphantly; conquering the depression, as it were.
Anyway, if you watch these videos I hope you enjoy them. If you enjoy them please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel.