velvet ripple (2020)
8-String Guitar
Duration: 4'.5’
Commissioned by Joseph Ehrenpreis
program note
Velvet Ripple is songlike in nature. A simple repeating melody fills verse after verse of music, departs for a bit, and returns towards the end. Throughout the piece, I am interested in creating a sense of touch, contact; in spinning meandering melodies that are washed away by waves and bursts of arpeggiated movement; in cultivating reflection. When I think of the central tune to this piece, I am reminded of a gentle motion, a soft splash: a velvet ripple, smooth and delicate, warm to the touch.