My directions of exploration often seem to be centered around the concept of intersections. Recent themes include:

• musical and cultural meanings in the exotic lounge music of composers such as Martin Denny and Les Baxter;

• new solo and chamber music for marimbula (pictured above), an instrument whose traditional musical role is to provide the bass line in a number of Caribbean folkloric genres (I have also been arranging popular music from the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, especially from the 50s and 60s, for marimbula and voice);

• the inclusion of popular music, world music, and “found sound” in Western art music beginning in the twentieth century, and the central role of percussion therein.

I also like to rock steady in 4/4.