for String Quartet

Conclusions was written for the 2023 Jeremy Salvner Memorial Music Competion hosted by Youngstown State University during their 45th annual English Festival.

Here's what I had to say about it:

"After five or six false starts, I managed to compose “Conclusions,” a short piece composed for string quartet. Inspired by the novel “Deadline” by Chris Crutcher, “Conclusions” was written with a specific word in mind, melancholy. The final scene of the book details Cody Wolf, younger brother of the protagonist Ben Wolf, giving a speech on behalf of his brother after his passing. I composed this piece with the thought that it could almost take the place of a soundtrack for this scene. The second half of the piece features a loose structure where the melody is passed around the instruments. The quick changes between ideas and instruments are meant to be representative of all the unique people Ben was able to meet and the experiences he was able to be a part of. Without much warning, the short piece then comes to an end."

The piece ended up being chosen as first place.