Freshman Year ( Fall 2021 - Spring 2022 )

 

​     This was my very first composition piece written as part of my composition lessons, as well as for the 

CSU Pueblo Discovery Scholars Program. To be present during the Colorado State University Pueblo’s

8th Annual Spring Symposium: A Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity. This was

originally composed for the Piano and was completed relatively early in the semester. However, it was

reorchestrated to better learn about writing for different instrumentation and was repurposed as an

experimental piece for an uncommon sextet to explore different timbres. This piece was graciously played

by fellow peers and colleagues of CSU Pueblo University, conducted under Mr. John Lemme.

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○ First Composition was written and performed for the CSU Pueblo Composition Recital

(Fall 2021 Semester)

○ Waltz No. 1, a Sextet Piece for Oboe, B♭ Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, French Horn, Cello, and Piano

○ World Premiere on Dec 8th, 2021, 4:00 pm @ CSU Pueblo’s Hoag Recital Hall

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Sophomore Year ( Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 )

 

     After completing my first composition, I felt comfortable with my abilities​

to compose. I was eventually struck by inspiration with my grandmother's 

garden as the muse. Growing up, I would remember always helping and 

seeing my grandmother working and tending to her garden, which was her joy

for over a decade. But during this time, my grandmother had started developing a form of dementia called

Sundowning and would eventually have to move to another house and leaving her garden behind.

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Being in Clarinet Choir and having played Bass Clarinet as my primary instrument, and learning B♭ Clarinet

growing up, I know the instruments rather well and felt that the timbre of the ensemble was perfect for

composing this piece. After getting an initial score reading and developing the basic ideas and sketches,

composer's block struck me that summer, all the way through the Fall Semester, where I struggled to enjoy

the sounds of anything I had attempted to write. Eventually, after changing my thought process of not creating a 

masterpiece, I finished working on the piece and finally felt content with its entirety. This piece was graciously performed by the Colorado State University Pueblo Clarinet Choir, led under the direction of Mrs. Pamela Diaz.

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○ First Clarinet Choir Composition was written and performed for the CSU Pueblo Clarinet Choir Concert

(Spring 2023 Semester) 
○ Garden Whispers, a Clarinet Choir Piece for E♭ Clarinet (Including B♭ Alternative Part), 5 B♭ Clarinets,

& B♭ Bass Clarinet   
○ World Premiere on April 28th, 2023, 7:00 pm @ CSU-Pueblo’s Hoag Recital Hall ​​​​​​​​

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Junior Year ( Fall 2023 - Spring 2024 )

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     This was the year when I started to focus on what I wanted to do after graduation, which was pursuing 

graduate school for my Master's in Music Composition. I started focusing on what I would need for my 

graduate portfolio and what skills I would need to develop, especially if I wanted to try earning a teaching

assistantship during my studies. There had been a new opening for the music tutor, and after applying for

it, I was the official music tutor for the department, which I am now currently in my last week working for.

This not only gave me a chance to develop skills to help explain and teach others, but it also gave me the 

opportunity to gain practical experience that I would need if I were to do a teaching assistantship.

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     Originally, I had started composing a choral piece based on poetry and using text by Emily Dickinson, 

'If I Could Stop One Heart From Breaking' at the beginning of the fall semester. I originally wanted

not just to learn how to write choral music but also to try composing using more complex harmonies and Romantic qualities. However, after making it about halfway through the composition, my notation software crashed, and it had corrupted my entire save file to the point that it had reset all of my work to the very first rough draft that I had sketched out. After taking a needed break from the compositional burnout I felt at the time, I managed to find a new sense of inspiration and motivation after listening to choral works and walking my dog during a beautiful sunset. This piece was graciously performed by the Colorado State University Pueblo’s Chamber and Concert Choirs, led under the direction of Dr. Jennifer Bruton, using original texts I wrote while walking during that sunset. ​​

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○ First Choral Composition was written and performed for the CSU Pueblo Spring Choir Concert

(Spring 2024 Semester) 
○ Amongst the Stars, a Choral SATB  Piece with Piano accompaniment 
○ World Premiere on April 19th, 2024, 7:30 pm @ CSU Pueblo’s Hoag Recital Hall​​

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Senior Year ( Fall 2024 - Spring 2025 )

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     This had been my busiest academic year thus far, where so much had happened. I had grown so much

as a musician, as a composer, and as an individual. Making this academic year the one I've composed the

most amount of music, but also the one where I've made the most amount of progress. I ended up taking

an elective Entrepreneurship course and better learned about making my career as a composer more akin

to being a small business, and ended up learning how to properly write out a business plan that could be 

presented as part of a portfolio or a legal document to the bank if I ever decided to expand and apply for

a small business loan. I published my website and printed out my first series of business cards alongside 

my friend and fellow composer, Gabriel Saldaña, who has been an amazing peer and colleague through

out this entire process. And finally, I had completed my graduate portfolio and submitted my applications to different universities across Colorado, applying to graduate school for the first time, which had been both a nerve-wracking yet thrilling experience. 

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     During this summer, before the semester had started, I decided to try composing a string quartet for the Saad Haddad Prize (String Quartet Edition) for a composition contest. Thinking this was a great challenge and opportunity to learn how to compose for instruments I wasn't fully used to, led me to another piece. Originally, it was a rather slow waltz using plenty of embellishments in a minor key, but within the last two weeks before the deadline, I had completely started from scratch and wrote a different style piece. It was loosely inspired by Libertango and was based on a rhythmic pattern I kept tapping along with whenever I was driving. When the semester started, I had asked our Orchestra/Strings professor if he wouldn't mind taking a look at the part to see if it looked relatively playable, and to much of my delight and surprise he handed out the parts to our Orchestra students for a first score reading and essentially said "Great, see you at the performance!" This piece was graciously performed by the Colorado State University Pueblo’s Chamber Orchestra, led under the direction of Dr. Oleksii Hamov.

○ First String Quartet Composition was written for The Saad Haddad Prize (String Quartet Edition) and was performed by the CSU Pueblo University Orchestra (Fall 2024 Semester) 
○ Dispute of Entangled Lovers’, a String Quartet Piece 
○ World Premiere on November 20th, 2024, 7:00 pm @ CSU Pueblo’s Hoag Recital Hall 

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​     At this time, I had decided to take Jazz Composition lessons, having only played jazz briefly in middle school and the occasional arrangement of jazz-influenced music in the different ensembles I participated in. I wanted to expand my skills to different genres that I wasn't comfortable with and to better understand how to compose for different styles that I enjoy listening to. After all, we had plenty of amazing musicians in our jazz ensembles, so I ended up composing a small jazz combo where the placeholder title ended up staying because I enjoyed it so much. This piece had amazing solos with my amazing friends and peers, and is also the piece that I ended up conducting my own work properly for the first time. This piece was graciously played by select students from the Colorado State University Pueblo’s Jazz Ensembles, led under the direction of Dr. Ryan Van Gilder.

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○ First Jazz Ensemble Composition was written and performed for the CSU Pueblo Jazz Ensembles Concert with Jazz Recital ft. George Comerci  (Fall 2024 Semester) 
○ Jazz Combo Mambo, a Jazz Ensemble Combo Piece 
○ World Premiere on December 2nd, 2024, 7:00 pm @ CSU Pueblo’s Hoag Recital Hall

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     This last piece I have​​​ composed for my undergraduate degree is a full Wind Ensemble piece, an adventurous sounding piece called The Journey Begins. I think that this was a fitting piece to end one chapter of my life and the start of another. This piece was composed to be played with high schoolers in mind, a song that was not just to be fun but also to include pedagogical ideals within their rehearsals and performance. Once all of the final edits and adjustments to ranges are made, this work will soon be joining all of the others on my website to be publicly available for anyone interested in purchasing the work. Below, I have attached the First Edition of the work made into my very first score video, with the MIDI audio playing the work. As well as the first score reading session that was graciously and amazingly performed earlier this week, all of the input and feedback from my peers has given me great insight. Featuring our very own  Colorado State University Pueblo Wind Ensemble, led under the direction of Dr. Brett Keating.​

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Future Goals and Projects continuing forward-​

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○ Starting on my next composition for the choirs here at Colorado State University Pueblo, to get a score reading and a possible performance within the upcoming 2025 Fall Semester (Fingers crossed!). I am planning to use my own original texts and lyrics that are more in-depth and meaningful compared to my previous choir work. As well as using the chance to explore different harmonic colors and vocal ranges after having a much better understanding of form.

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○ Starting an instrumental solo piece with piano accompaniment, delving into less tonal ideas as well as trying to develop my compositional skills into a more mature style, and keeping a harder level of musicianship in mind.

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○ Write out a formal business plan for my compositional career using skills I learned during the Entrepreneurship course I took prior, making it a complete collection of information and legal documents

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○ Creating an online option for virtual music-based lessons and/or masterclasses via Zoom, including creating a fully written-out lesson contract and plan for both parties

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○ Creating a commission option and contract for compositional works set with affordable prices

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     Within the last stretch of my undergraduate degree here at Colorado State University Pueblo, I had the task of creating my Senior Composition Recital. Normally, I always thought that I would compose a bunch of music to be performed live, but after looking back at all of the achievements I've done, I thought that this was instead a better representation. A live collection of my works that I had created, that I had spent countless hours on designing and engraving seemingly endless sheets of music and parts. Alongside all of the amazing performances that this university has given me, all because we have the most amazing students and faculty that give the students a chance to see their works come to life and to share them live with others.