"Against the Grain" is an energetic Piano Quintet that features several unique orchestration techniques. The pizzicato and col legno duet between the cello and viola is meant to mimic the strumming of a guitar. There is a strong sense of rhythm throughout the piece that gives it forward motion. A piano ostinato permeates much of the piece and gives it unity.

Against the Grain

"Daydreams" is a short piece for small orchestra. Inspired by the orchestral works of Gabriel Fauré, it features a flute solo through the entire piece. The solo begins with piano accompaniment. This builds into a rich polyphonic setting of the original melody by the whole orchestra. Meandering variations of the melody give the sensation of drifting through a daydream.

Daydreams

"Minimum Effort" is a fast, energetic piece written in the post-minimalist style. It is highly influenced by the works of Steve Reich. It is scored for sampler, percussion/vibraphone, 2 marimbas, guitar, bass guitar, and keyboard. This is the output generated from a midi file of the piece. Thank you Love-Lei Balbas for the amazing score cover.

Minimum Effort

"On the Brink" is an approximately 6 to 8 minute work for Flute, Oboe (player doubles English Horn), Viola and Cello. It was written for the 2018 San Francisco Conservatory of Music Summer Composition Workshop. The piece features complex, syncopated rhythms, octatonic scales, and contrasting atonal and modal sections.

Wyatt Cannon