Nocturne in G Major

(February 2, 1993)  This piece was practically written at one sitting, with the fair copy completed in the next day or so.  This began a little "creative spurt" which resulted in my writing "Reverie" and "On Your Toes" (unpublished), as well as "Solitude", "Passacaglia", and "Improvisation".  It was first performed by student Michelle Greene.  The "first version" was in 3/4 time, and I later recast it in 6/8 to make the phrasing more apparent.  This revised version is dedicated to my former student Erin Willoughby, who now practices law in Atlanta.

It has been a favorite of mine for years, and I have played it many times at weddings, social gatherings, and in church services.  I was surprised to realize that it took me until 2015 to make a video.

The music can be found at Sheet Music Plus through this link.

The music can be found at Sheet Music Plus through this link.

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Ludwig's Blues

(November 27, 2014)  My first "blues", and my only one so far.  Based on the standard 12-bar blues, this piece contains a few veiled references to Beethoven's immortal (and overplayed) "Fur Elise". (Imagine the umlaut, y'all.) It is, of course, dedicated to the mysterious Elise.  

The music can be found at Sheet Music Plus through this link.

 

The music can be found at Sheet Music Plus through this link.

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Sailboats in the Bay

(February 20, 2015)  This piece was written from the beginning with a specific student in mind, as a reward to Kirsten Williams for her hard work during the school year.  I had planned to give it to her as a reward to "grow into", as it was above the level of the Faber Piano Adventures book that she was playing in.  She took to it immediately and played it in the spring piano recital.  

From the beginning she surprised me with her weekly progress, and she didn't see her teacher shedding an occasional tear as she played in the lesson.  But I guess she knows now. 

The opening section was written to "walk" the student through small stepwise changes in hand position.  The middle section is a little more difficult, but she was motivated and learned it quickly.

The score can be found here at Sheet Music Plus.

The score can be found here at Sheet Music Plus.

And here is a video performance by the young student to whom it is dedicated - for whom the piece was written:

The score can be found here at Sheet Music Plus.

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Arioso

(November 10, 2014)  A slow, mournful melody over a block chord accompaniment - similar to "Arietta", but with more of a Baroque feel.  It is dedicated to the memory of my dear friend Patricia Walters McCuiston, who succumbed to stage 4 lung cancer, living less than a month after her diagnosis.  Her daughter Tabitha studied piano with me.

I was inspired somewhat by William Gillock's "Sarabande" when I began this piece, but in the end I felt the melody was more in the vein of an arioso, and didn't lend itself to much sarabande-y ornamentation.  I have used it as an offertory in church services as well.

The music can be found here at Sheet Music Plus.

The music can be found here at Sheet Music Plus.

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Improvisation

(March 5, 1993) This piece is admittedly based on the same little motive as "Reflections Past".  For this reason, it sat unplayed for several years.  Eleven years later, I decided it was worth saving and gave it to Hillyer Jennings, who took it up and performed it on his high school senior recital in the spring of 2005.  The piece is dedicated to Hillyer, who is now a graduate of Harvard Law School and is practicing law in London.  (So. learn this piece and see how far it takes you.  I'm just saying.)  It is currently the closest thing to "jazz" that I have attempted.

I have also used this as service music (offertory) and played it as wedding prelude music.  

The score can be found here at Sheet Music Plus.

The score can be found here at Sheet Music Plus.

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Reflections Past

(February 16, 1996) "Reflections Past" is a wistful piece, almost in the manner of a movie "love theme".  I like to think that the memories here are more happy than sad - perhaps a look back to happier times.  It is dedicated to my former student Melanie Richburg Hall, who at the time was a high-school senior and performed it in a solo recital in the spring of 1998.  I have used it as well in church services as a prelude or offertory.  In March 2003 I played it at her wedding reception.

The music can be found here at Sheet Music Plus.

The music can be found here at Sheet Music Plus.

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