Flutey Pebble (2008) – This was one of the pieces that was in my portfolio for my first composition class that I took with Professor Anthony Kelley. I had an obsession with minimalism and ostinatos. Although this is not minimalism, it definitely deals with an ostinato within the parts of the oboe, clarinet, horn, and bassoon! haha! I start out the piece by really taking my time and stretching out the bassoon line before settling with the repeated pattern. I did something a little quirky with the ostinato. The bassoon is always a half beat early and the three others are a half beat late. So this keeps a faint and quick though consistent tension throughout the piece. Every once in awhile, I’ll seek a spot where they play at the same time but I tried not to make it predictable. And who did I leave out? Ah yes, the flute!! As you can see by the title, the flute is kinda important. It has the melody! *gasp* haha! After the other instruments lay down the foundation, the flute comes in with it’s mellow mid-range which is a higher tone than the others in the ostinato. It’s not until near the end where I finally release the flute like a caged bird and allow it to soar into its high signature range.  It comes back down peacefully with a drone on its low G, as the ostinato stretches out one last time into the ending.

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