Ghost

for piano and percussion, 2020
commissioned by National Sawdust for the Digital Discovery Festival
premiered by Ian Rosenbaum and Stephen Gosling

Starting this piece, I was interested in routines or rituals that are used to start the day, begin a work process, or practice an instrument. I found these mechanical turtles that make a repetitive percussive motion that is similar to a pianist or percussionist, but without any of the emotional response that comes with those actions. So I built the piece around the thoughtless motion of the turtles and the more expressive capabilities of performers.