A Patio Conversation Through Glass for

Piano and Percussion

Performance Notes

The percussion part is written for a timbrack of 12 instruments notated on chromatic pitches from F – E. Four of the instruments are specified: low tom (F), snare drum (A), bongo (C), and suspended cymbal (E). The rest of the instruments are to be chosen by the performer. At the end, when directed to hum or sing along with the music, performers should not worry about staying exactly together with the piano lines. They should be slightly off, and the effect should be somewhat like a Glenn Gould performance.

Program Notes

While sitting in a coffee shop last spring, I noticed a girl crying on the patio outside. I watched her through the window for a while, wondering why she was so upset. A young man was sitting at the table with her, his back to me so I could not see if he was sharing her emotions. I was struck by the strange poignancy of the situation: this couple probably having a fight, possibly breaking up while I watched them, completely removed from whatever was actually passing between them. Seeing them brought up memories of similar situations I had been in, yet I knew intellectually that my interpretation of what was going could have been completely wrong. The image of that scene seemed particularly relevant while writing this piece. I have projected parts of my own thoughts and emotions in the notation on the page, yet what the music is really about – what is really happening – is left up to the performers on a very concrete level.