Vicious Cycle

Commissioned by the James Madison University Wind Symphony
Scored for Wind Ensemble
Completed in 2104
Duration: 6 minutes

Premiered October 2014 in Harrisonburg, Virginia
James Madison University Wind Symphony
Stephen Bolstad, conductor 

Audio recording available from the composer upon request.

Program Note

Vicious Cycle is a six-minute overture for Wind Ensemble in the form of a passacaglia, structured around the repetition and gradual variation of a progression of seven chords.  Each harmony in the central progression has a distinctly different emotional pull ranging from contemplative and anxious to uplifting and optimistic, and the progression undergoes a series of transformations that unfold the musical narrative through a series of blossoming colors, gentle cascades, forceful swells, and percussive fanfares.  The piece illustrates the emotional arc of seeking to overcome a problem that inevitably remains in need of a solution in the end, and in this sense, it is a reflection on the futility of some larger issues that persist in society today, seemingly without end. Vicious Cycle was commissioned by the James Madison University Wind Symphony.