I received a commission from the National Music Teachers Association and Nebraska Music Teachers Association to write a new piece for their state convention last year.
I wrote a cello "sonata" with the idea that I would try to write something fun and not quite so brooding and serious. I wanted to sort of write the kind of music Milhaud might write if he were still around. Growing up in Tampa exposed me to plenty of Cuban rhythms, and I brought them to this quirky little set of pieces.
I titled them after colors in Spanish and called the entire work "The iridescent café". There was only one cellist that I wanted for the premiere. I had worked with the young cellist Justin Lepard before, and was amazed to find out that he could play jazz.
We premiered the work in the Fall, but had a chance to perform it again last week. Here are the videos from the concert.