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Y Thanks a lot guys for taking time listening and commenting on my duo! I've decided to bury this song since it takes too much work to make something good of this one. I tried and had good ideas but discovered I really missed a fourth or at least a third voice to make decent harmonies. I tried using double stops and it works for some extent but not for a whole piece. I also got an idea for another B part but the foundation wasn't strong enough. I'm making a brand new string quartet right now and I really like it! Thanks again, i appreciate it!

Greetings! I'm pleased to share a piece that was commissioned by a Community Band in my region and premiered in April 2018. "Lakeway Tribute" depicts the region of Morristown, TN, historic as the location of Davy Crockett's family tavern with rolling mountains and known locally as the community of Lakeway where homes line the Cherokee Reservoire, a lake community. So, I created a theme to represent the scenery, a theme to celebrate the festive spirit of the community, and to honor the memory of Davy Crockett's last stand at the Alamo. The form of the piece is mostly an ABCBA with transitions in between that seek to evoke a journey into the area. The piece is scheduled to be published in Spring 2021 and will go into the engraving process soon. You'll see in the score that, for the most part, everything is where it ought to be except the suspended cymbal. I didn't correct this for... reasons I won't get into here. But yes, I know it's out of place and it will be corrected anyway in the final product when my publisher engraves the score and parts. For now, please enjoy "Lakeway Tribute!"

Your guess is as good as mine. Measure 156 could also be a polychord. Cmin/Gb5. I do think we need to distinguish between harmonic content and melodic content as well. The harmony is clearly Gb Db with C as an accented non-chord tone on beat 1 of 155. This is a Lydian #4 tendency tone. We get it again in 157 in a C minor arpeggio. But the line isn’t necessarily “the harmony.” It just kind of maneuvers through the Gb Db power chord while bumping up against the pillars of the Gb harmonics.

I always enjoy listening to your works - they're often very different from other things that can be heard on this site. Your harmonic language is as always exciting and engaging. I personally have to disagree with the others - I think the trombone here works quite well. I get the feeling of it being a true duo, such as one might find for two pianos, rather than where the trombone is taking the spotlight (correct me if I'm wrong.) That said, the piano seems a little too prominent at times, like the trombone is an afterthought. Well done on a colourful and interesting piece! aMC

The E.T. Soundtrack holds a very special place in my heart, so I occasionally call back in appreciation of Williams’ influence on me as a composer. Those transitions are inspired by the E.T. soundtrack, a quite intentional nod. Windfall is another piece - you can find it here on YouTube - where I also call back to E.T. at the climax near the end. In fact, when I rehearsed this piece with my band, I constantly referred to these as the E.T. / Williams measures. True story. So, about that b9 interval in beat 4 of 156... Maybe the Gb bass note along with the Gb in woodwinds, mallets, etc is setting up a sort of resolution that G natural thwarts? If we look at these two measures, the linear material is building into the final conclusion of the work, so when the last beat of this line extends us suddenly to a b9, I think it fulfills the point of these two bars building to 157. I distinctly remember spending more time on these measures than other measures of the piece thinking, “Why does this seem to sound more effective when the line goes to G instead of Gb?” And I remember reading somewhere that the b9 interval is actually one of the most dissonant intervals in large orchestrated works (this is probably more debatable in theory, so don’t take my word as law on that), so b9 has its uses if you’re aware of its dissonant impact. I may have ultimately, and accidentally(?), discovered a moment where it actually works. Thanks for listening! I hope some of this is helpful in explaining things in a way that’s beneficial to you. If not, I’m happy to break it down more in discussion. Cheers!

It's absolutely lovely! Such a rich and deliciously lonely atmosphere.

Its not boring in my opinion. Your melodies are always very good and I enjoy your music. I think if you were to revise the piece I would make the bass more interesting in the first section by walking in 1/4 notes or at least use the double stops throughout the first section to fill out the harmony and create more of a chorale vibe. Also I think the piece lacks articulation. Its definitely worth a revision.

A splendid piece. Although the piano part isn't so easy it's languid; laid-back. The kind of music one might expect in a salon. As others have said it also has jazz about the harmony and interplay of the instruments. Some nice variations in metre. There's a natural tendency to link the whole-tone scale to a particular composer but I made no connection to him with your work. It's unique, thoroughly 'professional' and works as it is. The ending felt natural and dead-on. If you do alter it I'll look forward to the new version but personally feel it isn't necessary. An accomplishment. Congrats. Quinn

You've created a very pleasing mixture here: it is jazz but also the Spanish influence pops in and out in subtle ways. At times the accompaniment feels as if it's about to head to a more strict Latin style rhythm, but then it changes before it fully commits in that direction. I like that type of fusion because it keeps a piece from being a predictable character piece, and shows your flexibility as a composer. I especially like the piano part starting around measure 61. I agree with Paper Composer that giving the trombone more meat to chomp on would only improve the music. This type of music belongs in a smoky bar (I love music like that). If a trombonist with improvisation skills had this music to play around with, this could be a strong foundation for some really wonderful jazz. Cheers!

I like the canonic imitation/interplay between the piano and trombone at measures 67 - 71. At the end I hear the tonic as G and when I look at the beginning I see that you start with an Ab7 #9 #11 tritone substitution that resolves to a very exotic G chord as well so I assume that the key is G. Also, I like the way you linger on the D in measures 9 - 14 using the whole tone scale (with a few additions apparently) which also functions as a dominant which then resolves to G as well. I have used a whole tone scale in this manner as well in my (shameless plug) Scherzo and Variations for Piano and Orchestra. You do the same thing at 42 - 47 with the trombone as well. I don't know if you intended this but this seems to be written with the piano leading and the trombone taking a sort of backseat - that's how I perceive it at least. If you don't want to create that impression you could bring the trombone out more with dynamics or give the trombone the primary melodic material that the piano enjoys first. Or maybe just give the trombone more virtuosic parts? I like how the trombone ends on the 9th which kind of leaves a feeling of uneasiness. Great job and thanks for sharing!