Program notes for my Music at Grace Farms solo cello recital program, “InCommon Folk” — a program exploring the intersections of classical, jazz, and folk music, developed in the spirit of searching for what brings us together in community, and highlights all we have in common. This program includes arrangements and improvisations on music that has historically been a vehicle to affect positive change in society and develop stronger human relationships.

"From Roots to Soaring Skies" -- program notes for a cellobration of Tippet Rise, featuring two pieces written for their magical land by Reena Esmail and Dawn Avery.

The root of this program is J.S. Bach’s Suite No 1 for Solo Cello. In spending time with this Suite during the lock-down in 2020, I noticed the ingenious ways Bach takes 3 simple notes – G, B, and D – and turns them on their heads, creating 6 distinct and contrasting movements that each begin with, and bear out of, these sole notes. I had the idea that it would be fun to expand that motif and look for other pieces that use these 3 notes – or their minor counterpart (G, B-flat, D) and make a sort of “super-suite” or “mega-piece” by tying these pieces together. Of course, this generally means that I’m working in the keys of G major and g minor, and certainly not all pieces in those keys tell a cohesive (or coherent!) story when put together, but I found the end result – today’s program – compelled me.