SE Concert Programs 2025

Sound Ecologies Presents:

Sound Ecologies Chamber Orchestra Elliott Lentz, Conductor

Tuesday, February 4th, 2025 7 p.m., Ruth Lilly Performance Hall Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center

Sound Ecologies Chamber Orchestra Musicians: Violin I: Evan McFall

Flute: Amanda S. Cat Hoelscher

Violin II: Angela Pulliam

Oboe: Cameron Storey

Viola: Lexi Scida

Clarinet: Katy Blocher

Cello: Sean Conover

Bass Clarinet: Eric Salazar

Bass: Grady Locke

French Horn: Kevin Cooney

Piano/Keyboards: Charissa Garrigus Luke Garrigus

Trumpet: Terri Ewigleben

Guitars: Logan Purcell

Trombone: Thomas Ewigleben Saxophones: Julian Orem Bassoon/Contrabassoon: Rory Bowers Percussion: Fox Lopez Hunter Wheatcraft

Conductor: Elliott Lentz

Preshow Discussion panel with the composers - 7 p.m.

Program Feather and Stone

Rob Funkhouser Rob Funkhouser, Gravity Harp

Silver Gates

Cat Hoelscher

Bristlecone

Hannah Guo Intermission

Speak Low: for Barry White

John Berners

Bryospora hymnalos

Luke Garrigus

I. Chiaroscuro II. Symbiosis III. Mycelium

Sound Ecologies Chamber Orchestra Elliott Lentz, Conductor

Sound Ecologies Presents:

An Evening of Piano Music Charissa Garrigus, Brenna Green

Tuesday, February 25th, 2025 - 7pm University Heights United Methodist Church

Program Dmitri Shostakovich

24 Preludes, Op. 43 No. 3 Prelude in G major No. 22 Prelude in G minor

Charissa Garrigus

Maurice Ravel

Le Tombeau de Couperin I. Prelude

Brenna Green

Elegy

Drew Sperry Charissa Garrigus

Luke Garrigus

Fish Music V. Splendens Requiem

Brenna Green

Intermission - (10 minutes) Rob Funkhouser

Timescape Model Brenna Green, Piano Rob Funkhouser, Electronics

Luke Garrigus

Great Blue Herons Charissa Garrigus

Troubled Water (based on the spiritual “Wade in the Water”)

Margaret Bonds

Brenna Green

Morfydd Owen

Four Welsh Impressions I. Llanbrynmair II. Glantaf III. Nant-y-ffrith IV. Beti Bet

Charissa Garrigus

Sound Ecologies & University Heights United Methodist Church Present:

From Death to Life: Benefit Concert and Art Auction

Sunday, April 6th 2025 - 4pm University Heights United Methodist Church

Coffee generously provided by Coffeehouse Five

Art Auction - 3:30 p.m.

Program - 4 p.m.

Overview Effect (2021)

Logan Purcell

The Quartet Collective, Grady Locke

So I’ll Put the Kettle On (2021)

Luke Garrigus

The Quartet Collective, Grady Locke, Charissa Garrigus

Candlelight and Catnip

Amanda S.

The Quartet Collective, Grady Locke

Intermission Go Down, Moses/Wade in the Water Deep River

Traditional Spiritual Arr. Larry Shackley

Tracey Leslie - Piano, Grady Locke - Bass, Bryce Hughes - Percussion

Rob Funkhouser

Disarm (2015) The Quartet Collective

String Quartet No. 1 in G minor, op. 27 I. Un poco andante - Allegro molto ed agitato

The Quartet Collective

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)

Performer Bios: Pianist Charissa Garrigus began studying the instrument at age 4. Her musical journey has taken her through all sorts of genres from playing clarinet in orchestras, small ensembles, and symphonic and marching bands, to jazz piano, accompanying, and (of course) classical piano. She studied piano, music education, and literary studies at the University of Indianapolis, and has numerous years of experience teaching PreK-8th grade general music, band, and choir. Currently, Charissa also performs with Classical Music Indy’s Random Acts of Music, and holds the positions of Organist and Choral Accompanist at University Heights United Methodist Church and Choir Accompanist at Franklin Community High School. Charissa keeps up an active performance schedule, featuring often in concert with Sound Ecologies, an Indy-based arts non-profit she runs with her husband Luke Garrigus. As a performer and recitalist, Charissa has been honored to premiere both solo and collaborative works of local composers including songs, piano solos, instrumental ensembles, and a piano concerto in which she was the featured soloist. She has appeared on recordings for Classical Music Indy and Sound Ecologies as well. Charissa is working towards a Masters in Musicology at Butler University, and is committed to a lifelong pursuit of her craft. When she’s not working on musical pursuits, Charissa loves to read, drink tea, listen to spooky podcasts, play games, and spend time with her splendid husband, incredible family, pernicious puppies, and lovely friends.

As an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, Tracey Leslie has been pastoring churches in urban and suburban settings for more than 30 years. Before entering ministry, she earned a Bachelor’s in Piano Performance (Duquesne University in Pittsburgh) and a Master’s in Accompanying (University of Akron). She is also a certified Spiritual Director and author of the book Companions on the Journey: Foundational Spiritual Practices (Resource Publications, 2019). Along with serving as pastor at University Heights UM Church, she is also Associate Director of Innovation, Engagement and Development for the Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. Tracey is a native of south central Pennsylvania. She is married to Rev. Britt Leslie, Ph.D., Director of Local Pastor Education for the Indiana Conference.

The Quartet Collective is a dynamic string quartet based in Indianapolis, dedicated to championing contemporary music and fostering collaboration with local composers. Since its founding in 2024, the ensemble has premiered numerous works, bringing fresh and innovative voices to the concert stage. Comprised of violinists Annie Donato and Ethan Hamel, violist Lexi Scida, and cellist Ryan Wombles, The Quartet Collective is committed to expanding the string quartet repertoire through bold, expressive performances. This concert marks their second collaboration with Sound Ecologies, furthering their mission of supporting new music and strengthening the artistic community in Indiana. Joining them for this concert is bassist Grady Locke.

Composer Bios: Luke Garrigus - Contemporary concert music composer, arts administrator, and conductor - serves as the President of the 501(c)3 new-music organization, Sound Ecologies, and has had works performed and commissioned by the Ronen Chamber ensemble, Circle City Orchestra, Sound Ecologies Orchestra, Sunset Syndicate Saxophone Quartet, and the JCA Composers Orchestra. His music has been described as “intricate, monstrous, vibrant, sensitive, and alive.” Luke holds a Master’s of Music Composition from Butler University, where he studied with Michael Schelle and Frank Felice, and a Bachelors in Music from the University of Indianapolis, where he studied composition with John Berners. In addition, Luke is the Director of Music at University Heights United Methodist Church in Indianapolis and the President of Sound Ecologies. His works have been performed both locally, regionally, and in Oxford and Falmouth England. Luke enjoys conducting, writing music, professional wrestling, choral singing, spending time in coffee shops, searching for bugs and other wildlife in local parks, keeping aquariums, his pups, and spending time with his wonderful wife, Charissa.

Rob Funkhouser is a composer, performer, and instrument builder who can never quite sit still. His work is concerned with ideas of place, memory, and pattern and he is interested in interrogating the interstitial spaces between established genres. He holds an M.M. from Butler University in Music Composition, and most recently completed Peace of Mind, Speed of Thought for Classical Music Indy. He has released projects through various labels in three different countries, but finds his home turf on Auris Apothecary and Medium Sound. His current projects include an ongoing series of recordings and writing under the title Walking Music, building a new set of instruments in collaboration with artist Justin Cooper, and ongoing work on new performance tools for music and installations. In 2020, he began a long-term living residency with Big Car as part of their APLR program. He also serves as Education Manager for the Rhythm Discovery Center, where he runs public programming for schools and community members. He has collaborated with diverse groups including Forward Motion, Los Angeles Percussion Quartet, So Percussion, No Exit Theater, and Chicago-based director Ryan Gleason.

Logan Purcell is a guitarist and composer born and raised in Greenwood, IN. Graduating from the University of Indianapolis with a Bachelor’s degree in guitar performance at the University of Indianapolis, he has performed in masterclasses with guitarists such as Andrew Zohn, Goran Krivokapic, Giampaolo Bandini, and others, as well as taking 3rd prize in his division at the BorGuitar festival, an international competition in Borgo Val di Taro, Italy. He also teaches piano and guitar privately, and currently serves as the Graduate Assistant in Music Theory at Butler University, tutoring undergraduate music students while working toward a Master’s degree in Composition. As a composer, Logan’s works can often be categorized as character pieces which convey specific scenes or concepts through sensitive use of tone color and lush harmonies.

Amanda S. Ellery is the professor of Music Composition at Anderson University in Indiana and teaches music in her private studio. She is a frequently featured composer with Sound Ecologies in Indianapolis. Her works have been performed in Indiana, Illinois, California, and New York, as well as in online forums. She also works at Bradley United Methodist Church with youth and adults in adding music and artistic elements to the service. Amanda received her Master of Music in Composition in 2024 from Butler University, where she studied with Dr. Michael Schelle and Dr. Frank Felice and was a Graduate Assistant in the Composition Department. She received her Master of Music Education degree from Anderson University in 2021, where she studied composition with Dr. Caroline KyungA Ahn. Additionally, Amanda was a 2021 fellow at the US-China Music Institute’s Chinese Styles Composition Workshop with composition professor Xinyan Li. She also holds a Bachelor of Music Theory and Composition degree from Butler University (1995) and is a licensed music educator for grades K-12.

Amanda also performs as a flutist, focusing on bringing new music to life and has been mentored by Robby Robinson, music director of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, in popular music. Outside of music, Amanda has written two children’s books published by Simon and Schuster and was an assistant at Disney Television Animation where she worked in the production and writing departments. She believes that her background in writing assists her in generating strong individual voice and personality in each of her pieces.

Amanda has two children. Her son, Johnny Ellery, is a captain in the United States Army. Her daughter, Kaytea Ellery, is an automotive technician. Her cats, Pixie and Posey, don't really help with housework.

Donation QR code for Fletcher Place:

Sound Ecologies Presents:

Chamber Orchestra Summer!

Sound Ecologies Chamber Orchestra Elliott Lentz, Conductor

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025 7 p.m., Ruth Lilly Performance Hall Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center

Sound Ecologies Chamber Orchestra Musicians: Cole Moore Concertmaster Chair

Violin I: Tricia Bonner

Flute: Cat Hoelscher Jack Nesser

Violin II: Carly Sage

Oboe: Cameron Storey

Cellos: Heewon Jeon Sean Conover

Clarinet: Katy Blocher French Horn: Sara Petokas

Bass: Grady Locke Piano/Keyboards: Charissa Garrigus Luke Garrigus Guitar: Logan Purcell

Trumpet: Terri Ewigleben Trombone: Thomas Ewigleben Saxophones: Julian Orem Christian Miller Bassoon/Contrabassoon: Rory Bowers Percussion: Hunter Wheatcraft Matthew Rhoad

Conductor: Elliott Lentz

Program Concertino Espresso

Luke Garrigus

I. Fresh Pots II. Cold Brew

Eric Salazar, Clarinet

Amanda S.

All in the Mind I. Moving Through the Madness II. Solitude Among the Swarm III. (Over) Contemplating Conversation

A Strsssful Way to Relax

Rob Funkhouser

MITTENS, DESTROYER OF WORLDS

Christian Miller

Intermission We Worship at the Altar of Consumption

Carly Sage

Eight Bubbles

John Berners

I. Bubble No. 1 II. Bubble No. 2

The Art of Falling into Place

Sound Ecologies Chamber Orchestra Elliott Lentz, Conductor

Logan Purcell

Notes on the Program Composed for clarinetist Eric Salazar and The Sound Ecologies Chamber Orchestra, Concertino Espresso is a musical reflection on the joy, ritual, community of my favorite coffee shop.

The first movement, "Fresh Pots," mirrors the joy of the first jolt of caffeine. Rapid cuts between musical styles, ranging from caffeinated jazz licks to neoclassical gestures, minimalist textures, and even references to Bach’s Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211 (otherwise referred to as his “Coffee Cantata”) create a collage that celebrates the variety of tastes one might find in a coffee shop. The orchestration expands into sounds typically heard while enjoying a good cup of coffee: clinking mugs, shaking bags of coffee beans, ice swirling in glasses—elements of the coffee shop brought into the concert hall.

In contrast, the second movement, "Cold Brew," simmers with a slow, deliberate coolness. Nearly every musical idea is distilled from the motive C–C (octave displaced)–F–F–E–E, an audible spelling of the word "coffee." These six notes are stretched, layered, and reorchestrated throughout the movement, creating a consistent, mellow flavor.

Concertino Espresso is dedicated to the staff, patrons, and extended community of Fresh Pots Coffee Bar in Greenwood, Indiana. This local shop has been more than just a workspace for me—it's been a gathering point, a place for reflection, and, of course, a source of excellent coffee.

Additionally, it has been profoundly exciting to work with Eric Salazar on bringing this concerto to life.

Eric brings extraordinary precision, warmth, and imagination to his playing, and it has been such a delight to hear his work on the piece throughout this process. I am so excited to celebrate, through the lens of this concerto, The Clarinet Guy, Eric Salazar.

-Luke Garrigus

All in the Mind is a piece about universal feelings that we all have from time to time. This is not about mental health issues, instead it is about the shared human experience.

I: Moving through the Madness is the feeling of everything around you moving so quickly that you can't keep up. No matter how hard you try, you always seem to be a step behind and feel unprepared and unable to do anything but hang on in the moment. This movement uses strong, jagged lines and dynamic empty pauses moving through space. The instruments play together, but always in dissonance, creating a feeling of clashing colors moving in strident forward motion.

II: Solitude Among the Swarm This movement is about the universal feeling of being somewhere with plenty of people, but not connecting with anyone. You don't fit in with the people who are there, you may feel unseen or even rejected and like you have no idea how to become a part of things. This movement explores the photographic technique, bokeh, which is characterized by an out of focus blur of specular highlights that usually appear as circular shapes in the background or foreground in contrast to a perfectly in-focus subject at another level. In this piece, the solo violinist is in focus, while the rest of the ensemble is bokeh.

continued on next page

III: (Over) Contemplating Converstaion is the tendency to replay innocent conversations in your head over and over again until you are sure that you said the completely wrong things, so much so that the other people involved now either hate you or think you are an idiot, when in reality, everything was just fine and no one else is even thinking about it anymore. This movement uses a simple melody line, which quickly becomes fragmented and shared throughout the ensemble, creating a chaotic collage before finally colliding into the smallest motivic pieces.

-Amanda S. The title A Stressful Way to Relax was a joke for me as I sat writing this piece just before the deadline, but also refers to the rhythmic tension and release that drives the piece along. This tension in time, this sort of musical impatience, represents some of the tension I feel in my daily life between the desire to remain open and present in the current moment, and the many distracting requirements that come with maintaining one's responsibilities in daily life. As the piece develops, the faster tempo eventually wins out, which to me is similar to moments I've had where I manage to get one more plate spinning in the air or one more project off the ground when it feels like I have no time at all. The form of this piece overall is a bit like accordion bellows, it folds toward itself, and has ideas that repeat forward and backward, and expand and contract as the gestures recur.

-Rob Funkhouser

In the fluffy remnants of the planet survived a prophecy crafted out of the now scattered stone survived: From voids where ancient horrors dwell, She prowls the night, as they whisper a spell.

One day she comes to rend and maim, To twist the stars and furball out flame.

Her name— Mittens.

-Christian Miller

We Worship at the Altar of Consumption, written in 2025, is inspired by the unhealthy beauty standards that we hold and the constant push for consumerism. Many of the beauty standards held by Americans can be traced back to the Victorian era boom of Tuberculosis, which at the time was known as a consuming disease because of the characteristic weight loss that came with the illness. Those who survived it had a gaunt, thin appearance that became the norm, especially for women, in the coming centuries. This piece is also a commentary on the consumerism that it takes to maintain the standard that we impose upon ourselves. There is a constant push for new clothes, makeup, hair, and diet with every change of season.

-Carly Sage

Eight Bubbles is a continuation of the piece I composed for Sound Ecologies Orchestra in fall of 2024, called Just Talking. If Just Talking were to grow into a quirky little symphony or suite, it would need some inner movements, and that's what Eight Bubbles is. The bubbles were meant to be extremely short, contrasting little pieces, each about a minute long, so there could be several, before moving on to a finale. However, each of the first two bubbles ended up being "long," each pushing 3 minutes! So I think that burst my intention of there ever being eight of them. Unless the next few are about 15 seconds, which might work. Parts 1 & 2 have strictly limited pitch and register material, keeping them within their own little musical bubbles. Even this program note is too long. I have learned (again) it is very difficult to be concise. *sigh* -John Berners The Art of Falling Into Place is a small concerto-esque tone poem for guitar and chamber orchestra. The work features asymmetrical meters and rhythms, as well as a guitar-centered melodic and harmonic language that is pervasive throughout much of my work. Listen for the competition for rhythmic control between the guitar and the rest of the group, which intensifies from the beginning of the piece to its climax. This work is a reflection on the parts of life that wax and wane and shift, and a love letter to the people, places, and activities that fall into place, keep me grounded, and bring me joy and wonder.

-Logan Purcell

Bios Eric Salazar is The Clarinet Guy. He is a performer, composer, and public speaker who plays the music he loves to play and wants to share it with as many people as possible.

Salazar performs as a soloist and as a chamber musician, mixing together classical music with spontaneous improvisation. He also composes music, both for the stage and for film. Through engaging in these different activities The Clarinet Guy has emerged as a leader of creative projects, creating spaces for effective collaboration that produce invigorating results for musicians and audiences.

Salazar has learned how to inspire people to do the special thing they want to do with their lives. Most people just need to give themselves permission to dare to be great, and The Clarinet Guy loves taking people under his wing to help them pursue their dreams. With trust as the foundation, Salazar leads teams of artists and entrepreneurs towards a future where fulfillment, self-sufficiency, and sustainability are the reality.

When performing, he embraces being vulnerable on stage as he shares stories in a way that makes the listener feel like they can be vulnerable too. Sharing this experience together produces a magical effect where all come away with a better understanding of themselves. The Clarinet guy writes music that will tell you a story, so you can feel seen and feel connected to those around you. His music isn’t necessarily in the classical style, though it is cinematic and merges inventive electronic sounds with familiar instruments.

Salazar is a tea drinker, plays soccer, and gets lost playing Dungeons and Dragons. Ask him to tell you a joke sometime. Eric Salazar is a Pereira 3D Artist. He plays on a Pereira 3D printed clarinet and ligature.

As a versatile conductor in both the orchestral and wind band worlds, Indianapolis resident Elliott Lentz is a dynamic musician and strong advocate for arts education. Currently serving as Artistic Director & Conductor for the Circle City Orchestra (Indianapolis, IN), he is also Director of Orchestras at North Central High School (Indianapolis, IN), Conductor-in-Residence with Sound Ecologies (Indianapolis, IN), & Head Clinician for the Smith Walbridge Student Conducting Clinic (Charleston, IL). In addition to his various roles, Elliottmaintains an active freelance conductor, adjudicator, & clinician schedule.

Additional guest conducting & collaboration opportunities have included the Indiana Bandmasters Association All-Region & All-District Honor Bands, Ballet INitiative, Circle City Chamber Choir, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, & Columbus Indiana Philharmonic. Lentz was recently selected as 1 of 5 finalists to conduct & perform with the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” in the 10th Annual Army Band Workshop & Concert in July of 2025.

Along with his conducting experience, he has been a guest speaker at workshops around Indiana, including the Ball State University American String Teachers Association chapter, the Indiana Music Education Association State Professional Development Conference on 2 separate occasions.

Elliott completed his Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Ball State University where he studied Trumpet with the late Professor Paul Everett and Conducting with Dr. Thomas Caneva. Outside of the rehearsal hall, he loves spending time with his wife, Amy, and their rescue Bernese Mountain Dog, Augie.

Sound Ecologies Presents:

New Music for Piano Performed by: Charissa Garrigus, Brenna Green, and Miho Sasaki

Sunday, July 13th 2025 University Heights United Methodist Church 7:00 pm

New Music for Piano July 13th, 2025 11:37 pm

Jack Nesser Miho Sasaki

Nocturne

Aidan Gomez Luke Garrigus

Plakat Betta Brenna Green

Ian Callen

We Ache for Simplicity There Must Be Someone Out Their

Matthew Rhoad

Charissa Garrigus

Tom Johnson

Three Cartoons for Piano I. Bulldogs in the Park II. Reverie

Brenna Green

Drew Sperry

Antique Amuesements Elegy

The Slow Motion Certainty of the Inevitable

Carly Sage

Charissa Garrigus

Cold, Dry Wind

Mansoor Hosseini

Sparrows and Deadlines

Rob Funkhouser Miho Sasaki

Sound Ecologies Presents:

Summer Art Songs Performed by: George Revill - Tenor Charissa Garrigus, Brenna Green - Piano

Tuesday, August 9th 2025 University Heights United Methodist Church 8:00 pm

George Revill is an English American tenor living in Southeast Virginia, and currently works as Development and Database Operations Manager with the Virginia Arts Festival. He has regularly performed in the Virginia Opera chorus since 2017, and recently sang in the world premiere of Damien Geter's opera Loving v. Virginia.

George has also performed in song recitals in Indianapolis, Scotland, the UK, and in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. George holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Christopher Newport University and a Master of Music degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. George currently studies with Bryce McClendon.

Charissa Garrigus holds a bachelor's degree in music education from the University of Indianapolis and a Masters in Musicology at Butler University, where her research centered on Irish Caoineadh and English death music of the Medieval and Renaissance eras. In addition to musicology, she is a regularly performing pianist and has been honored to premiere both solo and collaborative works of new composers including songs, piano solos, instrumental ensembles, and a piano concerto in which she was the featured soloist. She has appeared on recordings for both Classical Music Indy and Sound Ecologies—a non-profit organization co-founded by Charissa and her husband in 2020.

Brenna Green is an Indianapolis native and currently lives in Brownsburg. She has her BA in piano performance from Anderson University, where she also studied organ, and her MM in piano pedagogy from Butler University. When she isn’t teaching or playing piano or organ, Brenna enjoys composing music, performing with a Balinese gamelan ensemble, hiking, history, and accumulating too many houseplants.

Summer Art Songs August 19th, 2025 Silent Noon

Ralph Vaughan Williams

When I am dead, my dearest

Liza Lehmann

Fear no more the heat o’ the sun

Gerald Finzi

Prayer of Pariah

Neil Cain Berthold Cvach

Abendlich George Revill - Tenor, Charissa Garrigus - Piano

Hugo Wolf

Verschwiegene Lebe The Tyger

Matthew Rhoad

Night Piece

Brenna Green

Sonnet Matinal in Eb

Jules Massenet

Le Manoir de Rosamonde

Henri Duparc George Revill - Tenor, Brenna Green - Piano

Faculty Artist Concert Series

Sound Ecologies x Forward Motion:

The Ocean Inside

Monday, September 22, 2025 at 7:00 P.M. Ruth Lilly Performance Hall Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center

Program Ebbs and Flows (2025) 1. Currents 2. Whirlpools

Rob Funkhouser

Flute Sonata (2022) II. “Why”

John Berners

Inkjaw (2025) I. Angler II. Ink in the Wake III. Serpentine IV. Hylician V. The Sea, Though Changed

Luke Garrigus

The Ocean Inside (2007)

Frances White Forward Motion Jennifer Page, flute and alto flute Eric Salazar, clarinet and bass clarinet Angela Pulliam, violin Maya Nojiri Sutherland, cello Ashton Vickery, piano Corey Denham, percussion

Notes on the Program

Ebbs and Flows is a piece that reflects on perspective when it comes to viewing water. From a distance, a stream might seem like a calm system, but up close we find the drama of life unfolding on a tiny scale.

Similarly, daily life can feel like getting caught in a series of whirlpools, overwhelming in the moment, but a bit smaller with some distance.

—Rob Funkhouser Flute Sonata was written to commemorate the life of April Pulley Sayre, naturalist and author who passed away at a young age in 2021. The sonata’s outer movements, I. “Lilting,” and III. “The Rarest Bird,” are lyrical and active, with passages depicting bird song and flight, both natural for the flute. Movement II is very different. It starts with an elegiac melody over a treading, inexorable accompaniment, and goes on to music that is fragmentary and distorted, questioning and then protesting violently “Why” the loss of life. I am grateful to Jenna Page and Ashton Vickery, and to Forward Motion, for bringing this movement to life and sharing it on tonight’s concert.

—John Berners INKJAW was composed for Forward Motion and received its debut performance at the 2025 Indy Fringe Festival. The score blends traditional notation with hand-drawn graphic-score elements, invoking a musical wilderness. This approach creates space for interpretive decision-making, reflecting the unpredictable,

dynamic qualities of natural aquatic systems. Each movement is its own ecosystem, containing a microcosm of textures, currents, vegetation, leviathans, and destruction.

• • • • •

Angler – a flickering, alluring light in the dark.

Ink in the Wake – dark waters carrying traces of human impact.

Serpentine – twisting, coiling, and unpredictable.

Hylician – the ocean as sporadic and dynamic.

The Sea, Though Changed – the ocean as a primordial terror, vast and enduring yet scarred by human impact. As Rachel Carson wrote, “But the sea, though changed in a sinister way, will continue to exist; the threat is rather to life itself.” The water persists, but life that depends on it is imperiled under the weight of our actions.

INKJAW is part creature, part elegy, inviting listeners to encounter water as a living, dangerous, fragile, and persistent force.

—Luke Garrigus

About the Artists

Rob Funkhouser is a composer, performer, installation artist, and educator who can never quite sit still.

His work tackles ideas of place, memory, and pattern and he is interested in interrogating assumptions in established art music performance and music education. He holds an M.M. from Butler University in Music Composition, and works to build community through classical and experimental music in Indianapolis. His current projects include a new record of chamber music, research into interactive sculpture design, and a commission for Earlham College. Funkhouser is a resident artist with Big Car Collaborative in the Artist and Public Life Residency program. He is also composer in residence and artistic director for the Indianapolis-based non-profit Sound Ecologies, and teaches music technology at the Herron School of Art. Recently, he has had over a dozen new premieres of pieces ranging from solo piano to symphony orchestra. His past collaborators include Forward Motion, Los Angeles Percussion Quartet, No Exit Theater, and Butler University. In 2024 his installation work was visited by thousands of people through a gallery exhibition at the Guichelaar Gallery, his installation A House is Alive with Sound at Spark Monument Circle, and in Unpopular Music at Burning Man in Nevada.

Called “captivating” by the New York Times and “vivid” and “cheeky” by the Indianapolis Star, the music and words of John Berners are also “delightfully surprising and quirky,” and “near madness” according to Indianapolis Nuvo Weekly. Berners’s music has been performed by the Detroit Symphony, Virginia Symphony, Kiev Philharmonic, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, and featured at festivals like Tanglewood, June in Buffalo, Composers Now, Music X, Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival, and the Missouri New Music Festival. Following bachelor’s degrees in music and math from Northwestern, Berners earned an M.M. and Ph.D. in composition at Michigan. He is now Professor of Music at the University of Indianapolis. Berners has served on the faculties of the University of Iowa, American University in Washington, DC, the Colburn School in Los Angeles, California State University at Fullerton, and Kalamazoo College.

Contemporary concert music composer, arts administrator, and conductor Luke Garrigus serves as the President of the 501(c)3 new-music organization, Sound Ecologies, and has had works performed and commissioned by the Ronen Chamber ensemble, Circle City Orchestra, Sound Ecologies Orchestra, Sunset Syndicate Saxophone Quartet, and the JCA Composers Orchestra. His music has been described as “prepared from a thinly sliced piece of pork loin, hammered thin with a meat mallet, then dipped in flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs, or crushed saltine crackers before being deep fried in oil…” Luke holds a Master

of Music degree in Composition from Butler University, where he studied with Michael Schelle and Frank Felice, and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Indianapolis, where he studied composition with John Berners. In addition, Luke is the Director of Music at University Heights United Methodist Church in Indianapolis and the President of Sound Ecologies. His works have been performed both locally, regionally, and in Oxford and Falmouth England. Luke enjoys conducting, writing music, professional wrestling, choral singing, spending time in coffee shops, searching for bugs and other wildlife in local parks, keeping aquariums, raising his Australian shepherd-mixes (Peaches & Gary), and spending time with his wonderful wife, Charissa.

For nearly a decade in Indianapolis, Forward Motion has advocated for the creation of new works by presenting innovative performances in a variety of spaces. The ensemble focuses on the performance of new works and free improvisations.

Forward Motion has commissioned and premiered dozens of new chamber works from composers such as Rob Funkhouser, Caroline KyungA Ahn, Eliza Brown, Jorge Muñiz, Clockwork Janz, Jared Thompson, Gabrielle Ceberville and many others. Forward Motion’s core instrumentation consists of flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion; the group's activity is fluid and involves many innovative combinations of this core instrumentation. The core members regularly compose for the group bringing about a wide range of creative expressions.

Forward Motion has partnered with local non-profit organizations to build community around the creation of new and improvised music. Recent partnerships include Classical Music Indy, supporting the premiere and recording of four new works by Indiana composers, and Indy Convergence, supporting innovative cross-disciplinary performances at White River State Park.

The members of Forward Motion continue to be dedicated educators, committed to encouraging music students of all levels to participate in creative music making. Forward Motion presents masterclasses on a variety of topics including the commissioning process, collaboration, effective rehearsing, improvisation and career strategies.

Upcoming Events—Faculty Artist Concert Series—Fall 2025 Monday, September 29, 2025 at 7:00 PM Michael Davidman, American Pianist Awards winner

Monday, October 20, 2025 at 7:00 P.M. The Kaleidoscope Suite with Hickey-Shanafelt 9ollective Monday, October 27, 2025 at 7:00 PM Across the English Channel with Ronen Chamber Ensemble THURSDAY, October 30, 2025 at 7:00 P.M. Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra—Chamber Music Monday, November 3, 2025 at 7:00 PM Stephen Hawkey, solo cello recital with Rebecca Edie, Piano Monday, November 10, 2025 at 7:00 PM Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra—Chamber Music

Sound Ecologies Presents:

ORCHESTRAMANIA II Sound Ecologies Chamber Orchestra Elliott Lentz, Conductor

Tuesday, October 7th, 2025 7 p.m., University Heights UMC

Sound Ecologies Chamber Orchestra Musicians: Cole Moore Concertmaster Chair

Violin I: Evan McFall Violin II: Carly Sage Viola: John Qualkenbush Cello: Sean Conover

Piano: Charissa Garrigus Luke Garrigus

Percussion: Matthew Rhoad Ben Parr Bryce Hughes Jeremy Johnson Caleb Ginsberg

Oboe: Tori Condra-Hilt Clarinet: Katy Blocher Bass Clarinet: Julian Orem

Bass: Grady Locke

Harp: Melissa Gallant

Flute/Piccolo: Amanda S. Cat Hoelscher Jack Nesser

French Horn: Alvaro Lagunas Trumpet: Terri Ewigleben Bass Trombone: Jack Connolly Saxophones: Julian Orem Christian Miller Bassoon/Contrabassoon: Christina Crawford

Conductor: Elliott Lentz

Program How Many Pentagons Can You Count?

Logan Purcell

Potted Ferns

Jackson Lee

The Case of the Sentimental Psychopath

Michael Schelle

Intermission: ~5 minutes

MINAZUKI - June "the month of water"

Miho Sasaki

The Black Hat

Amanda S.

Luke Garrigus

CICADACLYSM!

Sound Ecologies Chamber Orchestra Elliott Lentz, Conductor

Notes on the Program

Q: How Many Pentagons Can You Count?

A: At least 5!

THE CASE OF THE SENTIMENTAL PSYCHOPATH Inspired by film noir, Perry Mason, Alfred Hitchcock, Quentin Tarantino and Russ Meyer (Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!), this is a piece written for someone you know ... or, perhaps, for yourself ....

MINAZUKI is the traditional name for June in Japanese/lunar-old calendar.

Minazuki means the month of water. The piece reflects the various images of water in nature such as rain, waterfall, lake and river. The water can be calm and peaceful or stormy and furious force in nature.

The Black Hat is inspired by the old western cowboy shows where the villain wore the black hat.

This immediately identified the "bad guy" to the audience. The term the "black hat" has also been used for computer hackers and others with bad intent. It would be helpful if everyone who should be avoided would wear a black hat, so we would know right away and save ourselves lots of trouble. Who are the black hats in your life?

CICADACLYSM: Cicadas have GOT to seem gigantic to ants, especially huge to mites, aphids, and absolutely colossal to microscopic organisms. Imagine that every 13 or 17 years, giant monsters begin ripping the ground open, climbing on everything, and just SCREAMING. Wild stuff. CICADACLYSM is dedicated to screaming insects, their tymbals and prime number scheduling, and to all of my friends who are making noise.