For Guitar Solo and Guitar Quartet

Commissioned by Ex-Aequo for their 2nd Emerging Artist Initiative, with support from the Augustine Foundation.

Eight movements (4 solos, 4 quartets), each inspired by a painting from the Abstract Expressionist, Norman Lewis.

Premiered live at Austin Classical Guitar’s Rosette venue in August 2024, with a video recording premiere by Drew Henderson in November 2024.

Score coming soon. Images courtesy of the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery in NYC.

Commissioned by Cleveland Classical Guitar Society
Premiered in its entirety on Juneteenth 2022 in Cleveland’s Dunham Tavern Museum by numerous students and Thomas Flippin.

Difficulty: Beginner-Intermediate-Advanced
Duration: ~25 minutes.

Includes a lengthy introduction about the melodies chosen from collections of African-American spirituals and how this project is contextualized in American history so that students of all ages and races can benefit.

Broken into three sections of increasing skill level, the etudes take students from the beginning level of simple melodies similar to suzuki book 1, all the way through advanced repertoire. The first two beginner works are also expanded into optional trios so that beginners can play together from an early phase. Many works also include a simplified version and a more complex version so that teachers can assign the appropriate version to each individual student. All the etudes were built upon melodies created by enslaved or recently emancipated African-Americans.

For Guitar Orchestra or Guitar Quartet

Commissioned by Peabody Preparatory for the 15th annual Fret Fest at Johns Hopkins University. Premiered by Peabody Institute guitar faculty, advanced preparatory students, and the studio of Manuel Barrueco under the conducting of Julian Dutra Aniceto. The festival was supported by the Augustine Foundation.

The piece centers on the complicated history of Baltimore, the Hopkins family, and the reconciliation of their Quaker faith and his grandfather’s freeing of children he enslaved.

Score coming soon. Send a message if you need it sooner.

For Guitar Orchestra or Guitar Quartet
Commissioned by the New York City Classical Guitar Society with support from the Augustine Foundation.

Wrecked is inspired by the car accident I survived on August 5, 2022 after someone ran a stop sign and T-boned me into an improbable 360 degree spin. I was left temporarily deaf in one ear, bruised, bloodied, limping, and en route to the emergency room. I spent nine months dealing with the aftermath. The piece revolves around three days related to the event.

Score coming soon. Send a message if you need it sooner.

For 2 guitars, violin, cello & backing tracks.
Written for Cleveland Classical Guitar Society and The Cleveland Orchestra.

Featuring recordings of pandemic interactions and the January 6th attack.

Inspired by restrictive racial housing covenants and a racist mob that terrorized the family of Arthur and Edith Lee for several weeks in 1930’s Minneapolis, The Covenant is a piece for four intermediate classical guitars and a (sometimes) improvising soloist of any instrument - in this video, electric guitar.

Written for the Cleveland Classical Guitar Society’s advanced quartet and featuring the virtuosic and renowned jazz guitarist Dan Wilson, the piece is a unique fusion of classical baroque form, electric guitar, jazz harmony, and improvisation.

Ten Kingdoms (2014) - For Guitar Duo (8:00)

Based on the writings of Bartolome de las Casas.
Difficulty: Advanced

Premiered in part with Madeleine Davidson at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, Oct. 2012,
And in part with Christopher Mallett at Sheldon Concert Hall and Placitas New Mexico (2013-2014).

I. Sail (“Those that arriv'd ...from the remotest parts of Spain, and who pride themselves in the Name of Christians.”)

II. Trudge (“Inhabitants would soon have wrought away their lives by hard working in the Mines, so that [the Spanish Prefect] might accumulate Gold by their bodies and Souls.")

III. Breathe (“There can be nothing more cruel and detestable than the tyrannical usage of the Spainiards towards the Indians in their Pearl Fishing...If [they] rest themselves the Hangman is immediately upon them in a canoe... beating them [and] dragging them by the hair underwater, that they may drudge again.”

For 3-4 classical guitars, (Inquire about Guitar Duo advanced remix version.)

A fun but melancholy, bluesy piece reflecting on the musical history of St. Louis
and the “Delmar Divide” which segregates the city along racial and class lines.

Difficulty: Mixed - Beginner (pt.4), Intermediate (pt 2-3), Early Advanced (pt.1).

Written for the St. Louis Classical Guitar Society.