Works
Spilyáy for solo bassoon
Spilyáy is a central character in the stories and legends of the Yakama people. He is known as a trickster: clever, mischievous, and often getting himself into trouble. Simultaneously, he is also a wise and respected problem solver. While studying the Coyote stories, I was inspired by Spilyáy’s multifaceted complexity, and this short character piece was the result.
Running time: 3.5 minutes
Range: C2 to D-flat 5 (optional) or A-flat 4
Wormface for bassoon or contrabassoon & Tape
Wormface is a tone poem with taped accompaniment based on a Yakama legend that tells the story of a young, conceited girl who realizes the hard way that beauty is only skin deep. Dedicated jointly to TK DeWitt and Leigh Muñoz, this piece works equally well on bassoon or contrabassoon.
Running time: 10 minutes, including required pre-performance narration.
Xìtway
In Sahaptin, the traditional language of the Yakama people, Xìtway (pronounced “sipway”) is a word that means both relative and friend. This piece is dedicated to the family that we choose.
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Range: C4 to D6
Running Time: 7 minutes
Movement 1:
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall
Movement 2:
Hand Clapping Game
Dance Suite
Composed in 2021, Dance Suite is comprised of several unaccompanied evocative miniatures centered on a specific theme. I was attracted to a structure that lent itself equally to performances of the work in its entirety and of selected movements alone or in combination. Each movement of Dance Suite is inspired by one of the dance styles of the contemporary powwow dance complex: “Grand Entry,” “Grass,” “Traditional Bustle,” “Fancy Shawl,” “Traditional Shawl,” and “Fancy Feather.” Score preview and audio files are included below.
Do you have a recent or upcoming performance of Dance Suite? Please let me know.
Movement 1
Prelude: “Grand Entry”
Movement 2
”Grass”
Movement 3
”Traditional Bustle”
Movement 4
”Fancy Shawl”
Movement 5
”Traditional Shawl”
Movement 6
”Fancy Feather”
