COMPOSITION

Composition is the “baby” of the family in my mediums. For years, I was “just a performer.” When I took orchestration during my master’s at Michigan State to avoid the standard theory requirements, it was the first time I looked at putting notes on the score. In Spring 2020, on day one of advanced orchestration, my professor assigned us to compose something for homework. I raised my hand and said, “I’m not a composition major.” I was met with an indifferent, “And? Figure it out.” that changed my life forever. 

That semester, I wrote my first two works: Quarantine(r) March and Camouflage, both for concert band. Only after that did I tone it down to write solo and chamber works. The Imposters for solo tuba was my first solo piece—a challenge I gave to myself for my master’s recital that quickly became part of my standard repertoire (and now on the 2027 Falcone Festival list). It reflects my imposter syndrome I felt during the pandemic through a character study.

Since then, composition has become one of my more prominent mediums. Every composition has a narrative arc, telling a story and designed to stretch performers’ capacities for what is possible on their instruments. 

My biggest work to date is my narrative symphony Roots Torn, Routes Chosen: A Story of Black Migration. I coined the term narrative symphony for its genre—it’s a symphony that has a griotte telling the history of Black migration over symphonic textures. It’s almost like a film score, but without the film—adding a visual would take away from the discomfort of sitting with the words and their weight through the music. (Learn more through its dedicated page in The Vision.) 

You can buy all of my compositions in The Store. If you would like to commission me (yay!), find out more of that process in The Door.


Featured Works

Roots Torn, Routes Chosen: A Story of Black Migration — Wind Ensemble & Spoken Word

This piece traces the history of Black American migration through sound and narrative. It moves from ancestral Africa to the Middle Passage, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, Caribbean migration, and present day. It is a journey of survival, movement, and identity—written to give ensembles a chance to explore history through collective storytelling.

blues & rhythm — Solo Tuba

A solo tuba work that leans fully into blues language—slides, grit, growl, and lyricism. blues & rhythm invites performers to interpret the blues in their own voice, honoring tradition while embracing personal artistry beyond what’s printed on the page.

The Imposters — Solo Tuba

The Imposters reimagines imposter syndrome as a character study. Each movement reveals a different way doubt shows up in our lives, pushing the performer to overextend, contract, compensate, or mask. It’s both a technical and emotional challenge, and a chance to own the parts of ourselves that feel “not enough.”

Against All Odds — Brass Ensemble

Written for the Chromatic Brass Collective, Against All Odds honors the courage of marginalized musicians who build excellence in spaces that were never designed for them. It celebrates resilience, power, and the joy of proving the world wrong.

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Let me bring your story to life!

If you’d like me to write for your ensemble, studio, or project, I welcome commissions for any instrumentation.

My process always begins with a conversation—who the piece is for, why you want it, and what you want it to communicate. From there, we build a narrative and sound world that reflects your vision.

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