PASIC 2015 was incredible. Our community is filled with amazing people and musicians. It was inspiring and rejuvenating.

I was fortunate that two of my new percussion ensemble pieces were premiered this year; Shared Space and Almaty. These pieces are now available if you’d like to program them on a concert. Thank you to Matt Ehlers and McCallum High School Percussion Ensemble, as well as Michael Burritt and the International All-Star Percussion Ensemble for such beautiful performances of these works.

I also recited poetry for the first time! That was fun. And scary. Here’s the poem I read for my piece Almaty:

I found a place that appreciates music,
for what it is, not what it appears to be, or seems to be.

I found a place where art prevails over money, 
where art prevails over subscribers and followers.

I found a place that is cold in temperature, but warm in humanity,
where people love to be enlightened.

I found a place where people dress like hipsters, and hug like parents.

I found a place that feels pure.