Still Life, wildlife

Instrumentation: Oboe and Guitar

Duration: 6’

Commissioned & Performed by: Mickenna Keller, Oboe, and David Steinhardt, Guitar

Program Note: I spent a lot of time at the pond behind my apartment complex while I was working on this piece. I observed a similar landscape each morning, but the environment's inhabitants consistently offered something uniquely delightful to behold: the scurrying of squirrels, the dance of dragonflies, the loud, unapologetic gatherings of ducks, and the calm austerity of sunbathing turtles. Much like an impressionistic still life painting depicts a single image while leading the viewer's eye through an intricate dance, Still Life, Wildlife contains musical ideas that teem with energy under the surface and are never quite the same at each visit.