about my Work

My work originates from a belief that broken expectations are what make life and art interesting. I have developed a formalized system using gradations of surprise as a force driving my work. Elements of surprise manifest in my pieces at varied levels of intensity impacting it in both subtle and shocking ways. For instance, a small degree of change would naturally occur with the use of harmonic dissonance in a piano concerto, while the introduction of Mariachi band would be quite shocking.

My work of late primarily revolves around what I have called “composed situations”, which have origins in music, but transcend what we typically consider music. The formal system I’ve established considers how surprise can be mapped to chart the degree to which sound and visual materials affect us. In my pieces, I may juxtapose my own music materials with found music samples, visuals, texts, recitations, and elements of performance art.

Each individual part making up my “composed situations” is introduced with intention and possesses its own individuality. However, when combined with other components of the work, new ways of perceiving all existing elements emerge. The experience functions as a working machine rather than a collection of disparate parts. For example, the static noise of an old television may easily transform to sound like sea waves when a beach towel appears on stage. My work insists that all existing media and materials are usable if the work itself calls for them. I approach my art from a place of limitless possibility.

My ultimate goal is to consistently disrupt expectations about my pieces in and of themselves, and more broadly to continually interrogate what constitutes music and art. I resist convention, and I feel most gratified when my works successfully engage my audience across a spectrum of thought and emotion.