The second of the Auden cycles, this performance was a bit of a clusterf-ck, and I was a little rushed in finishing some of the songs.  While some of the songs are weak, however, some of them came off very, very well.

2 - As I Walked out One Evening (8.6 MB)
The weakest of the songs, it was finished last (in a great rush), and is also the longest.  The length wasn't helped by the fact the orchestra performed the piece at just over half the indicated speed.

4 - The Fall of Rome (2.9 MB)
A quirky little tune about greatness in decline.

Written as my final project for one of Allen Forte's atonal theory classes, I am very pleased with how this song came out.  It also serves to showcase the exceptional range of the performer.  I actually played the piano part to this one, which means that the performed part has been slightly simplified in a few places from the original part.

The plan to put up an original musical, music by myself, book and lyrics by Scott Peterman, fell through.  I had already written the songs for the first half or so of the show, however, and didn't want them to go to waste, so I scrapped together an orchestra and some singers, and put up a concert myself.  This is the most heavily orchestrated music of mine that has ever been performed, and is also the only conducting experience I have.  The songs are listed in their show order.

Then Again, Maybe (5.9 MB)
Annabelle and Chris sing separately as to their discontent with the present and hopes for the future.  Slow number.

Better Off (3.7 MB)
Chris sings a song he wrote.  The guitar part was supposed to be playable by an actor, so is quite simple.  To be honest, I don't think this song is any good.

The Gospel Truth (3.6 MB)
The charismatic Sen. McLeary riles up religious and political passion in the townspeople.  Catchy tune, nice big finale.

We Hurry On (4.0 MB)
Very influenced by that one song from West Side Story (dadadada in America, dadadada in America, etc), Annabelle's friends get her ready for the big dance.

La Beaute (eventually cut from show) (2.9 MB)
Piano accompaniment only (it was never orchestrated, because it was cut from the show).  Annabelle sings French poetry.  A nice song, in the Romantic-era sense of the term.

What a Woman is Supposed to Dream (4.9 MB)
Annabelle's mother tells her that what she really  wants is a nice man to marry, not these strange dreams of leaving smalltown America.  Features the thickest choral writing of the show; the best song of the show (in my opinion).

What a Woman is Supposed to Dream (reprise) (2.3 MB)
Rose mocks the tune which she's heard so often before, telling Annabelle not to lose her individuality.

Thing Two's Confession (2.0 MB)
One of the flying monkeys tells their story.  The monkeys were not speaking parts; this is orchestral only.

The Creation Ballet (5.1 MB)
Late in the show there was supposed to be this abstract number in which the cast does a ballet of the creation story.  This should have been my favorite piece in the show, but I neglected it... and it kind of sucks.

The First Day (reprise) (2.1 MB)
I just put in this little reprise for the concert version.  The finished script would have had something similar at the end, but probably with different words.

Over the summer of 2001, I wrote the first Auden song cycle (The Path), as well as some songs for guitar and voice.  The following October I had a concert of them, as well as a partially improvised piece for banjo, which I performed myself

The Path
performed by Vira Slywotzky and Chip Lockwood

1 - Their Lonely Betters (2.6 MB)
2 - Lullaby (4.6 MB)
3 - The Question (2.5 MB)
4 - Too Dear, Too Vague (2.4 MB)
5 - Bird Language (1.0 MB)

Songs for Guitar and Voice
performed by Katie Vagnino and David Ralston

Don't Turn Around (2.8 MB)
The favorite of my songs for which I wrote the lyrics.  Don't obsess over the past, it says.

Whiskey and Beer (3.7 MB)
I'm not the most attractive girl, you're not the most attractive guy.  That's why there's whiskey and beer.  Starts humorous, quickly turns lonely and depressing.

Nashville Dream (3.7 MB)
Wishes of country stardom.

Two Weeks (1.8 MB)
It doesn't take long to destroy a promising relationship.

I Never Knew (3.9 MB)
The most overtly personal of the songs, the meaning is pretty obvious.  Especially when you replace the chorus lyrics 'but through it all I have loved you' with the first draft 'I never knew hate before you.'

Short Work for Solo Banjo (5.8 MB)
performed by David Ralston

Basha said to me after the performance 'that didn't sound like something written for the banjo,' which is exactly what I was going for.  The banjo gets a mildly improvisational but very classical-minded concerto type piece.

An 80-minute long electronic piece.  Emotional reactions to 80 minutes of live recordings of the dorm room that morning, starting moments before the second collapse.  It's easy to forget how confused, angry, and dumbfounded we all were that day.

The best garage band ever.  Here are only a pair those songs which I wrote, though I may put up all of the tracks (including those not written by me) later.  I seriously doubt the other band members would mind.  Click here for a photo gallery of the first concert.

The truth behind the most famous intergalactic gay love scandal.

A story of lukewarm tea and love gone cold.  Lyrics by Mike Lee