Compositions

This is my piece for this semester's "Jazz Composer's Orchestra" concert at MSM! This as well as my arrangement of Wayne Shorter's "Penelope" will also be performed at Dizzy's Jazz Club in NYC as a part of this concert program! This was an amazing band and I'm so thankful to been able to have my own original work performed and transformed and brought to life by these musicians. This tune is "Phantasm" which I originally wrote as a through-composed quartet composition in my undergrad. It features Tal Kalman on Tenor Sax, Miles Mindlin on Guitar, and Bruno Tzinas on Trombone.

This semester at MSM in completion of my Master's degree I gave an hour long recital of original big band music! This was an amazing band and I'm so thankful to been able to have my own original work performed and transformed and brought to life by these musicians. This tune is "Next Week," which I first wrote as a part of my "Tune a Day" social media challenge, where I wrote a tune every day in December. I then arranged it for a Virginia-based big band last summer, and now premiered in NYC! It features Evan Amoroso on Bass Trombone, Caleb Davis on Trumpet, and myself on Guitar.

This semester at MSM in completion of my Master's degree I gave an hour long recital of original big band music! This was an amazing band and I'm so thankful to been able to have my own original work performed and transformed and brought to life by these musicians. This tune is "Driftwood," my most recent composition at the time of the recital! It features Marty Scott on Trombone, and an intro by Elisee Ngbo on Piano.

This semester at MSM in completion of my Master's degree I gave an hour long recital of original big band music! This was an amazing band and I'm so thankful to been able to have my own original work performed and transformed and brought to life by these musicians. This tune is "Cyan," which I originally wrote for my quartet in undergrad. My professor at MSM Mike Holober described it as a "character study," so for the big band version I decided to expand on that idea. It features Estes Cantarero-George on Trombone, Bryan Cowan on Bari Sax, Danno Petersen on Drums, and Bruno Tzinas on Trombone.

This semester at MSM in completion of my Master's degree I gave an hour long recital of original big band music! This was an amazing band and I'm so thankful to been able to have my own original work performed and transformed and brought to life by these musicians. This tune is "Luxury Car" which was a tune I wrote during my "tune a day" social media challenge, where I tried to write a tune every day in the month of December. It features Mackenzie McCarthy on Tenor Sax, and Elisee Ngbo on Piano, and Matt Stark on Alto Sax.

This semester at MSM in completion of my Master's degree I gave an hour long recital of original big band music! This was an amazing band and I'm so thankful to been able to have my own original work performed and transformed and brought to life by these musicians. This tune is "Tidewater," which I originally wrote for my trio at JMU. It features Chris Ramirez on Bass, Joey Curreri on Trumpet, and Ian Weidmann on Alto Sax.

This semester at MSM in completion of my Master's degree I gave an hour long recital of original big band music! This was an amazing band and I'm so thankful to been able to have my own original work performed and transformed and brought to life by these musicians. This tune is "QUIET!" which was the first big band composition I wrote while at MSM. It features Austin Ford on Trumpet, Adam Lamoureux on Tenor Sax, and Elisee Ngbo on Piano.

I was recently given the amazing opportunity to both play in as well as arrange a and adapt 3 selections for the Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra's "Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Wayne Shorter" Concert, featuring Ingrid Jensen and Melissa Aldana! This arrangement is of a tune off of Wayne's 1965 album "Etcetera." The piece is scored for standard jazz big band instrumentation, is conducted by Jim Saltzman and features Ingrid Jensen on trumpet and Christian Holm-Svendsen on tenor sax.

I was recently given the amazing opportunity to both play in as well as arrange a and adapt 3 selections for the Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra's "Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Wayne Shorter" Concert, featuring Ingrid Jensen and Melissa Aldana! This arrangement is of a tune off of Wayne's 1985 album "Atlantis." The piece is scored for standard jazz big band instrumentation with 2 optional F Horn parts, is conducted by Jim Saltzman and features soprano saxophone, played by Samuel Priven.

I recently had the amazing opportunity to have my original work, "Dead Man's Gambit," read and recorded by the Manhattan School of Music Studio Jazz Reading Orchestra! "Dead Man's Gambit" is based on a narrative trope (which I gave a slightly cooler name) in which a character knows they're going to die, but manipulates the circumstances of their death to benefit themselves or their cause. The piece is divided into 6 sections, one for each of the 5 traditional stages of grief, and then the final section devoted to our character's death. This piece features Chris Ferrari on tenor saxophone and Austin Ford on trumpet. The MSM Studio Jazz Orchestra is conducted by Professor Matt Holman.

This semester at MSM I gave a non-degree small group recital of all original music! This was an amazing band and I'm so thankful to been able to have my own original work performed and transformed by these musicians. This tune is "Next Week," which I wrote originally in 2022 as a part of my "Tune a Day" social media challenge where I wrote an original jazz tune every day of the month of December. It features every member of the band!

This semester at MSM I gave a non-degree small group recital of all original music! This was an amazing band and I'm so thankful to been able to have my own original work performed and transformed by these musicians. This tune is "Evergreen," which I wrote originally in 2022 as a part of my "Tune a Day" social media challenge where I wrote an original jazz tune every day of the month of December. It features every member of the band!

This semester at MSM I gave a non-degree small group recital of all original music! This was an amazing band and I'm so thankful to been able to have my own original work performed and transformed by these musicians. This tune is "Luxury Car," which I wrote originally in 2022 as a part of my "Tune a Day" social media challenge where I wrote an original jazz tune every day of the month of December. The name comes from an inside joke with my family about my first car. It features myself on guitar, Jack Huang on Vibraphone, and Elisee Ngbo on Piano.

This semester at MSM I gave a non-degree small group recital of all original music! This was an amazing band and I'm so thankful to been able to have my own original work performed and transformed by these musicians. This composition is entitled "Lunar Suite," and is a through-composed improvisatory work in 3 movements: Crescent, Phobos, and Europa. "Crescent" is based on Earth's own moon, and draws inspiration from the tides, and cyclical structures. Movement 2, "Phobos," is based on one of Mars' 2 moons. The moon Phobos revolves around Mars 3 times every day on Mars, and is predicted to eventually crash into the planet, causing it's destruction. The structure of the movement is based on the final day before the Moon's inevitable destruction, and features, myself, Elisee Ngbo, and Jack Huang. The final movement, "Europa," is based on one of Jupiter's many moons, observed to covered in an ocean that's frozen over, and the underlying sea has shown to contain signs of life. This movement draws on ice and flowing ocean imagery, and features Chris Ramirez on Bass.

This semester at MSM I gave a non-degree small group recital of all original music! This was an amazing band and I'm so thankful to been able to have my own original work performed and transformed by these musicians. This tune is "Andromeda," which I wrote originally in 2022 as a part of my "Tune a Day" social media challenge where I wrote an original jazz tune every day of the month of December. It features myself on guitar, Jack Huang on Vibraphone, and Elisee Ngbo on Piano.

This semester I was in the Donny McCaslin Ensemble at the Manhattan School of Music! This was an amazing opportunity, and I'm super fortunate to have been able to have my music played by this group. This tune is "Exodus," which I wrote originally in 2022 for an assignment at JMU where I had to write a tune without an instrument, and that I've now adapted/updated for this group. It features Alan Bartus on piano, myself on guitar, and Felix Ambach on drums. I hope you enjoy!

I recently had a piece premiered by the Manhattan School of Music composer's nonet! For this piece I tried to focus on linear writing and avoid relying on a harmonic background as the unifying aspect. The piece is scored for jazz nonet - alto tenor and bari saxes, 2 trumpets, trombone, vibraphone, bass, and drum set. is conducted by myself and features solos by Davide Sgarra on bass clarinet, Joey Curreri on trumpet, and João Rosa on vibraphone.

Check out the premier recording of an original composition of mine entitled "Next Week!" Composed for Shawn Davern's "Sages of Future Soul," a semi-virtual big band, coming together for our second live recording session at Clementine Café in Harrisonburg Virginia. This piece started as a short TikTok/social media video I made in December of 2022, during a "tune a day" challenge I was doing where I wrote a short jazz tune every day for a month. This tune was written looking forward to the end of the semester and winter break, and so for the large ensemble version I wanted to convey the feelings of excitement, nervousness, and happiness surrounding seeing someone you love for the first time in a while. I hope you enjoy!

I was given the amazing opportunity to both play in as well as arrange a student composition for the Manhattan School of Music Hugh Masekela scholars South African jazz orchestra, featuring Jaleel Shaw! This arrangement is of a student student composition "Kemet" composed by Nhlanhla Mahlangu, which title roughly translates to "land of the black" or "the black land." The piece is scored for standard jazz big band instrumentation, is conducted by myself and features solos by Chris Ramirez on bass, Jaleel Shaw on alto sax and Danno Peterson on drums. I hope you enjoy!

This is the Manhattan School of Music Jazz Composers’ Orchestra premiering of my original piece for large jazz ensemble, "Fragment." The piece is based on a poem of the same name by the Greek poet Sappho, to which I added additional lyrics of my own. In terms of material, the piece is conceptually based upon melodic fragmentation, as well as the meaning of the future, and what it means to be remembered. The piece is scored for standard jazz big band instrumentation, is conducted by Jim Saltzman and features vocals by Martina Barta and solos from Cam Shave on Flugelhorn, Cole Peterson on Alto Sax, and myself on Guitar.

This is the first piece I've had premiered in my time as a jazz composition major at the Manhattan School of Music, for the jazz composers nonet concert, titled Statement. The piece is scored for 6 winds and a 3 piece rhythm section, and features Ryan Hernandez on guitar, and solos from Austin Ford on trumpet and Cole Peterson on soprano sax. Conducted by myself.

This September I was given the amazing opportunity to co-arrange Billy Taylor's "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free" (popularized by Nina Simone) with Amanda Addleman for the first Manhattan School of Music jazz ensemble concert! The tune is arranged for full rhythm section, 3 horns, and 5 voices.

My original tune "Tortoise," recorded on 10/10/2020. Performed by Jonah Barnett (Guitar) Halen Anderson (Trombone) Devin Esleck (Trumpet) Gabriel Doon (Piano) Cole Sheffer (Bass) and Clay Zimmerman (Drums)

Recording of my jazz combo composition titled "Phantasm," recorded on 11/28/21. Performed by Jonah Barnett (Guitar) Peter Haensel (Tenor Sax) Cole Sheffer (Bass) and Kohl Corrigan (Drums).

Original jazz guitar trio titled "Tidewater," recorded on 11/5/22. Performed by Jonah Barnett (Guitar) Cole Sheffer (Bass) and Kohl Corrigan (Drums).

Recording of the third piece off my senior composition recital, my miniatures for upright bass and guitar titled "Entomology.” Performed by Jonah Barnett (Guitar) and Cole Sheffer (Bass).

This is a recording of my original Saxophone Quartet, “Stargazer” performed by James Madison University students on my senior composition recital from 2021. The piece follows a journey through space in 4 movements, “Vast Expanse,” “Blueshift,” “Albedo,” and “Pale Blue Dot.”

Recording of the second piece off my senior composition recital, my miniatures for solo mandolin titled "Mountain Music," performed by Jonah Barnett.

This is a recording of my original Brass Quintet piece, “Fantasy on an English Folk Song.” The theme from Fantasy on an English Folk Song comes from a folk tune called “Oak and Ash and Thorn,” a song adapted from Rudyard Kipling’s poem A Tree Song. The poem was later set to music by English folk singer Peter Bellamy in 1970, where this theme originates.

Big Band Arrangement of "I Know You Know" by Esperanza Spalding. Performed at the JMU Jazz Band's final concert in spring 2019. Recording and mixing done by Tom Carr, and JMU's in house sound personnel.