“I would love to compose a new work for you or your ensemble!”
My journey as a composer began at age fifteen on the day I found a dozen sheets of staff paper in my mother’s music library. I filled the pages with notes of my own conjuring, which led to compositional study at Eastern Michigan University with Dorothy James and José Serebrier and later at Michigan State with Jere Hutcheson and H. Owen Reed.
Fortified with degrees from both schools I taught music theory and conducted the orchestra for 31 years at Saint Louis Community College at Meramec – all the while composing for Meramec ensembles as well as the St. Louis New Music Circle, St. Louis Symphony and the orchestras of Washington University (Galant Ensemble) Washington University and several community orchestras and choruses in the Saint Louis area. I was commissioned to compose Horizons for the 1997 Missouri All State Orchestra and The Golden Circle for the Parkway South High School Orchestra’s appearance at the Missouri Music Educators conference in 2003.
I began conducting the Belleville Philharmonic Orchestra in 1995 composing Vision Quest, Journey of Discovery, a cantata in honor of the 200th anniversary of the Louis and Clark Expedition, as well as a number of arrangements and chamber works.
I was commissioned by the Oratorio Society of Estes Park, Colorado to compose the cantata, Wilderness Reflections for the Oratorio Society of Estes Park for the100th anniversary of Rocky Mountain National Park. After moving to Estes Park with my wife, Robin in 2016 I have continued to enjoy composing in our new home in the mountains.
My compositions can be previewed and purchased from J.W. Pepper Music Company. Here are links to specific compositions – most have audio recordings:
- Happenstance for saxophone and mallet percussion
- Asian Sketches No. 1 – Night in the Villa by the River
- Asian Sketches No. 2 – My Thoughts are with a Boat
- Asian Sketches No. 3 – A Still Pool
- Asian Sketches No, 4 – My Love is Like the Grasses
- Elements of Antiquity
- Three Nativity Spirituals
- Vision Quest for full orchestra
- Sonata for Flute and Piano
- Soul Flight (viola and piano)
- Three Miniatures (Woodwind Quintet)
- The Golden Circle (string orchestra)
- Soli Deo Gloria (pipe organ)
- Dream Catchers (SATB chorus flute and piano)
- Cavatina for flute and Chamber Orchestra or Piano
- Prisms for alto or soprano flute
- Piano Sonata
- Mosaics (Woodwind Quintet)
- Sonata for Violin and Piano
- Panis Angelicus (soprano, flute and piano)
- Go Down Moses (chorus with alto or baritone solo) and piano