A Patio Conversation Through Glass (2007)

While sitting in a coffee shop last spring, I noticed a girl crying on the patio outside. I watched her through the window for a while, wondering why she was so upset. A young man was sitting at the table with her, his back to me so I could not see if he was sharing her emotions. I was struck by the strange poignancy of the situation: this couple probably had a fight, possibly breaking up while I watched them, completely removed from whatever was actually passing between them. Seeing them brought up memories of similar situations I had been in, yet I knew intellectually that my interpretation of what was going on could have been completely wrong.

The image of that scene seemed particularly relevant while writing this piece. I have projected parts of my own thoughts and emotions in the notation on the page, yet what the music is really about – what is really happening – is left up to the performers on a very concrete level.