Trio

While in graduate school in composer’s symposium all the worrisome composers were instructed to write a piece, a trio for piano violin and Bb clarinet. Our model piece to be emulated was Bartok’s “Contrasts.” Personally, I love that piece but my muse dances to the beat of a different drummer. At the time my facility and maturity as a composer had not yet emerged from its confounded cocoon. This trio reflects my developmental and compositional process. Nonetheless from beginning to end the composition of this trio was a labor of love and a genuine learning experience. I like to think that the first movement is one of my most memorable pieces.

It took me five years to complete this piece. The first and second movements were written while I was still in graduate school. The third movement was written after I had graduated from the University of Oregon School of Music. The first two movements are a reflection of what I like to call my “baby steps” period. The final movement reflects a more “seasoned” interpretation or rendering of my personal odyssey into the musical unknown.

Nonetheless this trio is marked by a soothing quality and a simple tenderness throughout.