Compositions

Bass Clarinet Performances

Musical allusions to felinity using the smokey, sinewy timbre of the clarinet are numerous, the most famous undoubtedly being Prokofiev's fable “Peter and the Wolf.” It was for this reason that, given an opportunity to write for a duo of bass clarinets, my mind conjured up a bizarre image of anthropomorphic, human-sized cats and their (mostly hostile) interactions. The piece is largely structured around a transcription of an actual cat fight, appropriately re-pitched, and its musical consequences. The performers rarely ever come to an accord in style or character without trying to best each other in some way. While composing the work, many other freely-associated influences crept in: Dolphy-esque avant-jazz, cartoon sound effects, thrash-funk rock, sentimental ballads, schlocky zombie horror scores, and loudly-belted blues. The title itself is appropriated from a relatively famous song describing the erotic life of an alley cat.

Zhonghu and Bass Clarinet I perform with Wang Guowei from Music From China

Soundtrack of an Open Road

is a Solo Bass Clarinet and Electronics work that was premiered at the 2015 Electronic Music Midwest (EMM) festival, and composed by Ted King-Smith.

Urban Predators

for two Bass Clarinets was premiered at Missouri Music Educators Association (MMEA), and later recorded in the studio. This work is by Tyler Capp, and also features Brad Baumgardner

Arapaima 

is a duet for Bass Clarinet and Zhonghu by Michael Miller, and has been performed at Lincoln Center, University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), and Lincoln College Preparatory Academy. It was Commissioned by Music from China, and also features Wang Guowei.