The first movement, Air, is about these very contrails that some think have chemicals to control the masses. This movement takes the listener through the innocent and naive to the potentially more-sinister uses of these aircraft. Of course, I mean all of this in jest, but it does make for a good foundation for a piece.

Chemtrail was premiered on February 23, 2018 by The Uptown Collective.

Duration: 6:00

echo chamber takes listeners from quiet, reverberant spaces to inter-dimensional space in the span of eight minutes. While this music is simply absolute, it may also be interpreted to represent the various repeating themes in nature and our personal lives.

echo chamber was commissioned by Composite Brass (Joe Cooper, trumpet and Johnny Salinas, saxophone) of Oklahoma State University and premiered on March 6, 2023

Duration: 8:00

Five Hundred Year Storm is primarily about the life and death of Hurricane Harvey. Harvey made landfall on August 26, 2017 in Rockport, Texas. Though it started as disorganized thunderstorms off the coast of Africa, it had a rise, fall, and rise again to devastating power as it became the first major hurricane to make landfall on the Texas coast in over fifty years.

Five Hundred Year Storm (six pianos version) was premiered on April 13, 2018 by members of the Oklahoma City University Piano Studio with the composer conducting.

Duration: 12:00

Inspired by Steve Reich’s “Counterpoint" series, new(er) counterpoint (clarinet choir version) gives the listener a dizzying eight minutes of relentless canons, additive rhythms, and pulsed chorales. Its deceptively difficult nature is sure to challenge even the most rhythmically-savvy of players while providing a rewarding payoff when executed as intended.

new(er) counterpoint was premiered by Dr. Jonathan Guist on May 4, 2016.

Duration: 8:30

This piece depicts the concept of the human condition by raising questions such as “Who am I?,” “Why am I here?,” or “How do I fit into this world?” These questions develop into a dualistic idea of what our lives are meant to do. In a world of extremes, this piece is meant to show that we are all good at the beginning of our lives. It is up to us to determine how we want to blossom.

on the blossoming of dualities was premiered by Zoe Dongas and a chamber ensemble on November 24, 2019.

Duration: 11:00

PAEAN: to those who inspire us is for either individuals or groups of people in our lives that inspire us. This does not only lend itself to the traditional, more obvious, form of inspiration, but also it brings to my mind those who give and/or share freely with others without intent of any return.

PAEAN was premiered by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Brass Quintet on May 4, 2016.

Duration: 2:30

Perigee-Syzygy is a work inspired by the tetrad of super moons in 2015. My goal in this piece was to create and aural and visual effect unlike any other that I've experienced. I included the use of lightbulbs to represent the different sections of the piece and the progression of the moon around the Earth at the time of eclipse. Also included is sunlight from an off-stage projector.

Perigee-Syzygy was premiered by Iris Gracia and members of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Percussion Ensemble on May 4, 2016.

Duration: 17:00

Ponte las Pilas, or ‘Look Alive’ is a latin-inspired work commissioned by the Sonido Sin Frontera trombone quartet. Its layered rhythms and dense harmonies put the listener at the forefront of a sonic party from start to finish. This piece doesn’t have a story. Instead, it is meant to remind the listener to ponte las pilas and get to it!

The Brass Quintet version of Ponte las Pilas was premiered by the New Music on the Bayou Brass Quintet on June 4, 2022 in Black Bayou, LA.

The Clarinet Choir version of Ponte las Pilas was premiered by the George Mason University Clarinet Choir on August 4, 2024 at the International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest 2024 in Dublin, Ireland.

Duration: 3:30

Raíces, meaning “roots” in Spanish, uses soundscapes, atmospheric elements, and nostalgic harmonies to take a listener through the growth of a tree.

Raíces was premiered by the Rio Grande Valley Flute Fiesta Flute Choir on August 3, 2024 at the National Flute Convention in San Antonio, TX with the composer conducting.

Duration: 5:30

Retrouvailles, meaning reunion in French, captures the feeling of reuniting with loved ones in slow motion. Its primary purpose is to provide a relaxing environment for the listener in a lounge or cafe setting.

Duration: 7:00

…That Keeps on Giving is a collection of six Christmas songs (religious and secular) for woodwind quintet. The songs included are: Jingle Bells, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night, Deck the Halls, Up on the Housetop, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas. Each of these songs takes on a different musical character, and each are a particular mood not typical to the original version.

Duration: 4:30

Three Movements for Four Parts is a piece for any two treble instruments and any two tenor or bass instruments. The piece moves through many different tonal centers, some lasting for less than a measure. The musical chaos ends with canons between all four parts and takes some mischievous inspiration from Charles Ives’s Symphony No. 2, Finale.

Three Movements for Four Parts was premiered by members of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Clarinet Studio on May 4, 2016.

Duration: 6:00

With spiraling melodic passages and unique color combinations between instruments, Aequilibrium is sure to entrance audiences and performers alike.

Aequilibrium was premiered by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Percussion Ensemble, directed by Dr. Joe W. Moore III, at TMEA on February 14, 2015.

Duration: 5:00

Players: 5

Difficulty Level: Medium

Concerto for Piano and Percussion Ensemble was composed for Dr. Jacob “Jake” Johnson and the Oklahoma City University Percussion Ensemble under the direction of Prof. Patrick Womack. Each of the three movements are composed with influence by the music of Igor Stravinsky, Claude Debussy, and György Ligeti, respectively.

Concerto for Piano and Percussion Ensemble was premiered by Dr. Jake Johnson and the Oklahoma City University Percussion Ensemble, directed by Dr. David Steffens and Prof. Patrick Womack, on March 6, 2019 with the composer conducting.

Duration: 25:00

Players: Piano + 8

Difficulty: Medium-Advanced

World premiere recording

Inspired by a photo posted on Instagram by NASA (which is on the cover of the score), this work uses spatialization to explore the beauty of pulsars in space by placing three percussionists around the left, right, and back of the audience. Each of these musicians use different types of mallets to play chimes suspended on cymbal stands, individual crotales, and metal pipes to provide sonic representations of these pulsars. This spatial element combined with rich extended harmonies and canonical rhythms, played by the stage ensemble, creates a musical experience that’s both fun to play and listen to.

Cosmic Lighthouse was commissioned by Joseph Rangel and the Sharyland North Jr. High School Percussion Ensemble, and will be receive its world premiere on May 4, 2024 with the composer conducting.

Duration: 5:45

Players: Stage: 5 + Piano [optional], 3 off-stage performers

Difficulty: Intermediate

electric cathedral is a three movement continuous work that features the Pearl malletSTATION in a new, concerto-style role, accompanied by percussion quartet and smartphone playback. The soloist takes on different instrumental characteristics through use of MainStage and its plug-and-play native library of sounds, effects, and capabilities. The percussion quartet, serving more than just accompaniment, integrates well with the malletSTATION soloist to create an immersive, meditative, and eventually driving atmosphere.

electric cathedral was commissioned by a consortium of high schools and universities led by Dr. Tommy Dobbs and the Oklahoma City University Percussion Ensemble. It received the official world premiere on April 28, 2023 at Clayton Peliti’s Graduate Recital at Oklahoma City University.

Duration: 11:45

Players: malletSTATION + 4

Soloist Difficulty: Medium-Advanced Collegiate / Advanced HS

Ensemble Difficulty: Medium Collegiate / Medium-Advanced HS

hymn is a soft and short piece for percussion quartet to contrast from the usual loud and fast percussion repertoire. It is served best as a palette cleanser or as an interlude in a percussion ensemble concert.

hymn received its digital premiere by the Benedict College Percussion Ensemble, directed by Dr. Joe W. Moore III, on June 23, 2021.

Duration: 4:00

Players: 4

Difficulty: Medium-Easy

World premiere recording

Number Theory, Vol. 1 is a collection of works that link musical characteristics to other disciplines using numbers as the common thread. These works vary not only in difficulty (intending from beginning to intermediate high school percussionists) but also a range of extra-musical topics that can be explored away from the practice room.

Duration: 8:20 total

Players: 5+

Difficulty: Medium-Easy to Intermediate

Number Theory, Vol. 2 is a collection of works that link musical characteristics to other disciplines using numbers as the common thread. These works vary not only in difficulty (intending from beginning to intermediate high school percussionists) but also a range of extra-musical topics that can be explored away from the practice room.

Duration: 8:50 total

Players: 6+

Difficulty: Intermediate to Medium Advanced

The Sentinel stands watch at the entrance of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Through day and night and rain or shine, they protect the tomb of those that paid the ultimate price for their country. Musically speaking, the piece juxtaposes the celebratory fanfare commonly found in patriotic music. The intense music tells a story of unwavering focus and forward motion, all while paying tribute to these Unknown Soldiers and their forthcoming Sentinels today and into the future.

The instrumentation is widely flexible from a quartet of drums to a full percussion ensemble and beyond to a full concert band. This is not only to provide flexibility to a wide variety of performing ensembles, but it also represents the ever-expanding body of different services, roles, and individuals in the various branches of the military. This piece further pays homage to service bands and musicians across the country.

Duration: 2:10

Players: 4+

Difficulty: Medium-Easy

Combining classical elements with non-traditional harmony and modes, Mat Campbell's three-movement Sonatina is a great addition to any percussion ensemble concert.

Sonatina was premiered by the University of Texas Brownsville Contemporary Percussion Ensemble, directed by Dr. Mark Eichenberger, on April 14, 2014.

Duration: 8:00

Players: 12

Difficulty: Medium

the little things was commissioned by the Rio Bravo Percussion Ensemble to be premiered at the 2017 Texas Music Educator Association Conference as part of their showcase performance. It is a piece composed to bring something new to the concert hall (or conference venue) by incorporating freely-spoken words from performers in the audience.

the little things was premiered by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Percussion Ensemble, directed by Dr. Joe W. Moore III, at TMEA on February 10, 2017.

Duration: 7:00

Players: 5

Difficulty: Medium

Recorded by members of Project 21: Music for the 21st Century and the Oklahoma City University Percussion Studio

Tour de Force, at its most fundamental level, employs musical material with no substance or narrative composed for the mere sake of sounding sophisticated. This piece turned out to be not only a one that requires elegant technique and musicality but also a relentless mental exercise of ensemble awareness, timing, and endurance. My biggest goal was to compose a piece that would contribute to the percussion ensemble repertoire, and to create one so bold that it would truly live up to its name.

Tour de Force was commissioned by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Percussion Ensemble, directed by Dr. Mark Ramirez and Dr. Marco Schirripa, and premiered with the composer conducting at TMEA on February 10, 2023.

Duration: 8:15

Players: 12

Difficulty: Advanced

Eclipse is a work that expresses my love for space. The piece is separated in two parts: Luna, and Sol. While open chords symbolize the vastness of empty space, dense chords and rhythms symbolize the intricate systems at the heart of galaxies.

Eclipse was premiered by the University of Texas at Brownsville String Orchestra, directed by Dr. Martha Placeres, on October 16, 2013 with the composer conducting.

Duration: 11:00

Recording by the Florida Southern College Symphony Orchestra

In a duration of ten minutes, the antithetical Endling grows with the intent of loss. It builds up with the intent of being torn down. It comes to life with the intent to describe death. This journey features an unspecified creature in becoming the last of their kind due to a ravaging wildfire. With the weight of being the Endling, this creature has a choice - submit to extinction, or struggle to survive.

Endling was premiered by the St. Luke’s Symphony Orchestra, directed by Maestra Sydney Arrendell, and soloists Danielle Szabo and Troy Freeman, on October 29, 2021.

Duration: 10:00

Recording by the St. Luke's - Edmond Community Orchestra

Five Hundred Year Storm is primarily about the life and death of Hurricane Harvey. Harvey made landfall on August 26, 2017 in Rockport, Texas. Though it started as disorganized thunderstorms off the coast of Africa, it had a rise, fall, and rise again to devastating power as it became the first major hurricane to make landfall on the Texas coast in over fifty years.

Five Hundred Year Storm (full orchestra version) was premiered by the Oklahoma City University Symphony Orchestra, directed by Maestro Jeffrey Grogan, on April 6, 2019.

Duration: 14:00

Recorded by the Oklahoma City University Symphony Orchestra

On the Shoulders of Giants is a musical representation and journey to the Pillars of Creation. Though the pillars no longer exist, they have served as a brilliant and inspiring sight to amateur astronomers and astrophysicists alike.

On the Shoulders of Giants was premiered by the Oklahoma Composer’s Orchestra, directed by Dr. Jamie Wind Whitmarsh, on May 26, 2018.

Duration: 5:00

Recorded by the Synesthesia Sinfonietta

Inspired by Steve Reich’s “Counterpoint" series, new(er) counterpoint (string orchestra and marimba quartet version) gives the listener a dizzying eight minutes of relentless canons, additive rhythms, and pulsed chorales. Its deceptively difficult nature is sure to challenge even the most rhythmically-savvy of players while providing a rewarding payoff when executed as intended.

new(er) counterpoint (string orchestra and marimba quartet version) was premiered by the University of Texas at Brownsville String Orchestra and Percussion Ensemble, directed by Dr. Martha Placeres, on November 2, 2014.

Duration: 5:30

Recording by Dr. Jonathan Guist

It is a gift to be simple, and it is a gift to be free. However, my arrangement of the famous Shaker Hymn opens up with a non-traditional chorale to signify the unfortunate times of complexity and limitation. The solo violin serves as a narrator telling the story of hard times and servitude.

Simple Gifts is my first piece that was rehearsed and performed in public. It is my debut work as a composer and a conductor and it was premiered on October 30, 2011.

Duration: 7:00

Recording by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley String Orchestra

electric cathedral is a three movement continuous work that features the Pearl malletSTATION in a new, concerto-style role, accompanied by percussion quartet and smartphone playback. The soloist takes on different instrumental characteristics through use of MainStage and its plug-and-play native library of sounds, effects, and capabilities. The percussion quartet, serving more than just accompaniment, integrates well with the malletSTATION soloist to create an immersive, meditative, and eventually driving atmosphere.

electric cathedral was commissioned by a consortium of high schools and universities led by Dr. Tommy Dobbs and the Oklahoma City University Percussion Ensemble. It received the official world premiere on April 28, 2023 at Clayton Peliti’s Graduate Recital at Oklahoma City University.

Duration: 12:00

Players: malletSTATION + 4

Soloist Difficulty: Medium-Advanced Collegiate / Advanced HS

Ensemble Difficulty: Medium Collegiate / Medium-Advanced HS

Time-Laps(e) combines solo snare drum with fixed media to create an experience of time standing still and inevitably marching forward. It is a visually-pleasing addition to any solo recital.

Time-Laps(e) was digitally premiered by Emma Roper on April 29, 2020.

Duration: 4:00