Conversations

I wrote “Conversations" in 2019 mainly while sitting in Highland Coffees on LSU’s campus, sipping lattes and eating their delicious blueberry muffins. In retrospect, I probably spent as much time in Highland as I did in class, and it is one of the main spots I associate with my alma mater. I always loved the vastly different types of people who came in to study or talk or create and the many conflicting conversations I heard bouncing around the room by 11am. Our piece begins in Highland Coffees at 7am when they are roasting coffee beans, and the shop is almost desolate. The first “conversations” (or themes) you will hear begin with civility through parallel harmony, but they quickly become discourteous as the players begin “interrupting” each other. As the customers grow more frustrated, each theme is colored with contrary harmony, emphasizing the “disagreements” the players are having before they angrily “storm” out of the shop in a strong, upward glissando. This fun, quirky, and light-hearted piece embodies the many rich and chaotic conversations I’ve had with friends (and strangers) at Highland Coffee’s during my time at LSU. I am so grateful to ABQ for bringing my music to life!