The Now Ensemble’s new album, Awake, is now available on iTunes. It contains a beautiful recording of my piece, Waiting in the Rain for Snow. Please check the NewAm website for more info on the release date and party, as well as the Now Ensemble site for some early reviews.

The last couple weeks I’ve also been working on a new piece for percussion whiz Brian Archinal, currently in Basil, Switzerland on a Fulbright. This is primarily a recording project, with Brian multi-tracking all 9 parts (maybe more, who knows?). The piece is inspired by segments in Throw Down Your Heart that feature a group of 6 musicians in Uganda playing the 15 foot Amadinda (gigantic marimba). It is probably the most hard-core grooving-est (is that a word?) thing that I have ever heard. I’m completely serious. Everyone is strongly encouraged to check this out for themselves by watching (at least) the first 20 minutes of Throw Down Your Heart. I can’t imagine my life without the existence of music like this.

Finally, another very exciting composition/performance project is in the process of being finalized over the next week or so. Updates to come!