When I was young I used to imagine I'd be a composer, but after banging my head against the wall for too many years I realized I just didn't have anything worthwhile to say, so I quit after my sophomore year of college. It was one of the smarter decisions I made in college, and one that I've never regretted. Several years ago I began to think that it might be fun to write something just as a way of entertaining myself. After all, I know a ton about the nuts and bolts of music! I thought, even if I can't come up with a good melody, I could still craft a lousy melody into a workable, functioning piece of music. I had so much fun doing this that I've continued this new hobby for several years now, and I like my compositions quite a bit. I don't mind if nobody else does; I guess that's what so many trips around the sun does to a guy.
Original compositions
Sonata (1992), piano solo (Winner - MTNA Composition Competition, Wisconsin; 1st alternate East Central Division)
Rhapsody (1993), piano solo
Viola Sonata (1994), viola and piano (Nope, this one was pretty lousy so I tossed it)
Weinstein Rag (1995), piano solo
Cadenza for the 3rd movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto in d minor (2011)
Northwoods Fantasy (2017), trio for two violins and piano
Norðurhólar (2017), for bassoon and piano
Slavic Dance (2017), for bassoon and piano
Joe Sandor Songs (2017), for baritone and piano
Impromptu - August 7th, 2018 (2018), for solo piano
Five Moments (2018), for violin and piano.
Trio in f-sharp minor (2018), for two violins and piano
Some projects that I'm currently working on:
Agnus dei, SATB+piano (in progress)
Piano Concerto, for piano, string quartet, and a few woodwinds (in progress)
Trio #2 for two violins and piano (in progress) - 2nd movement 99% done, got the gist of the 3rd mvt, got the first minute of the 1st mvt.
Elegy for violin and piano (in progress)
Sonatina, for piano (in progress)
Sonata for bassoon and piano (in progress)
Trio for violin, viola, and piano (in progress)
Sonata for viola and piano (in progress)
Arrangements
Great Scott!, a Rag by James Scott, arranged for two pianos, four hands
Frog Legs, a Rag by James Scott, arranged for two pianos, four hands
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime, arranged for piano, four hands
Panama, arranged for piano, four hands
Skye Boat Song, arranged for two violins and piano
Mendelssohn - Hebrides Overture, arranged for two violins and piano
Italian Folk Songs, arranged for piano, four hands
Excerpts from Verdi's Rigoletto, arranged for piano, four hands
Assorted Classic Rags, string orchestra with piano solo
Live performance of Great Scott! arranged for two pianos, with Alexander and Timothy Sandor, at the Scott Joplin International Ragtime Festival in Sedalia, Missouri
A few notes on some of my compositions....
Weinstein Rag
During the summers of my undergrad years at UW-Superior I worked on the accompanying staff at the Interlochen Arts Academy. It was a great gig, with tons of performance opportunities. I accompanied many students in the concerto competitions and recitals. My primary duty was to provide improvised music for modern dance classes. I also had the wonderful experience of taking weekly piano lessons with Natalie Matovinovich, who was a brilliant, demanding but caring teacher. I enjoyed my summers there, but they were long and every year I got a little homesick by August. My last year there, I had a little free time the last week of camp and decided to write a rag, and since I was thinking about home I decided to name it after the road that my parents lived on, Weinstein Road.