Program Note

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Current is written in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, which protects 12,734 miles of river across the United States. Writing this piece encouraged me to explore some of the rivers near my own home, including the Scioto, Olentangy, and Hocking Rivers, and to capture some of their life and energy. The melodic lines, harmonic shifts, and textures in Current are intended to depict the movement and moods of a river, whether it is wide and meandering, flowing steadily, rushing forward, or shallow and puttering over the rocks.

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Current is organized in three principal sections. The first is characterized by gently curving melodic lines combined with pizzicato chords, motivic ideas in sequence, and a largely triple meter. The brief second section by contrast is in quadruple meter, with some rhythmic surprises and a playful melody that includes flatted thirds and sevenths, punctuated by a couple of rough moments in the water. This transitions into the third section which refashions a melody from the first section, finally recalls the opening material, and rushes towards its close.

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