Performed by Amy Austria, William Phi, Samantha Chavira, and Daniel Cavazos on December 9, 2020.

The instrumentation for this piece was selected based on the Hub New Music ensemble, a unique chamber group that held a residency at Texas State University. It holds a somewhat ABA form, playing on a few themes that occur at the beginning of the piece. It's goal is capture the feeling of being in a rut, seemingly unable to escape a no matter how much one wants to, as well as the eventual "full circle" nature of such situations. The middle section is somewhat free and takes a step back from the moving nature of the introduction, as we sometimes must remove ourselves from a situation to reflect on how we got there and where we desire to go. While the piece begins hovering around E Minor, it ends in E Major, a more hopeful feel, signifying that, while we cannot always change the cycles of life we are a part of, we can mold our perspective to one of hope.

Carousel - Live

Ecstatic Noise was originally written as a piece for a mixed ensemble - Flute, Bb Clarinet, Bassoon, Bb Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Piano, and Timpani. It was written as a nod to two composers that I greatly admire - Steven Bryant and Jonathan Newman. The piece shares half of its title with two of Bryant's pieces (Ecstatic Waters, Ecstatic Fanfare), but the full phrase itself is taken from Newman's piece, Avenue X. Newman's piece is exciting and raucous, and becomes a glorious cacophony of sound near the end of the piece. This loud climax is described by a two-word phrase at the top of the score: Ecstatic Noise. In seeing this I was inspired to write a piece that, although not very similar in sound or style to Avenue X, conveyed the same sense of unabashed celebration. Ecstatic Noise is the result of this endeavor, and it serves to celebrate anything and everything.

Enjoy the music! :)

Ecstatic Noise for Orchestra (MIDI)

A fun little arrangement of "The Pug that Couldn't Run", written after hearing that Loca, the titular pug, passed away. A short piece to honor one of the internet's favorite dogs!

Enjoy the music!

The Pug that Couldn't Run

Quaker Church (2018)

Compost Flowers (2018)

"Catalyst" is a fun, challenging piece that requires skill and musicality from all players. It is meant to portray the action of a "catalyst," which can be described as something that sets things in motion. This can be seen as many different things; maybe something that accelerates a chemical reaction in the tiny cells of our bodies, or maybe the spark that inspires someone to do what they love.

Carousel - Live

Amy Austria

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