I want people to play my music, and to hear it, as much as possible. Therefore, these scores are all free, all complete, and all available under a "give them to your friends" sort of license (details). Please make use of this gift, and download a few!

I hope people will realize that free of charge does not mean has no value. These pieces are incredibly labor-intensive to create. If you feel that the music has worth, if you feel that it has given you a little something, I hope you will consider giving a little something back.

I'd also love to swap printed scores and/or a CD of some of your own music, or creative work of any kind.

Bass Clarinet and Piano

Piano solo

From the current work in progress:

You might also be interested in the rest of my music site, which is full of free recordings of classics such as Chopin and Brahms, and exciting new work from myself and others.

Notes on Notation

These are notes on my personal notation conventions. Many of them are standard, but it's always a good idea to study the personal conventions of each individual composer!

If you are looking for more general conventions, I recommend the Essential Dictionary of Music Notation by Tom Gerou and Linda Lusk, the Music Publishers' Association's Standard Music Notation Practice, and Kurt Stone's Music Notation in the Twentieth Century. Each includes information the others do not, so I recommend all three if you can find them.

Accidentals

All accidentals apply until either the next barline or the end of the system, whichever comes first. They do not apply to notes in different octaves or different staves. I occasionally add redundant accidentals for clarity, particularly when there are no barlines.

Pedaling

Since it is common in my pieces for the pedal to stay down for extended periods, I always show pedal releases — either with an explicit release, or with Ped. ad lib. If you do not see one of these notations following a Ped., the pedal stays down. I sometimes write Ped. sempre to emphasize that there are no changes throughout a section, but the sempre is only for emphasis and does not change the meaning. Of course, pedaling is a subjective and situational art, so adjust my instructions to your taste.

Grace notes

Slashed grace notes come before the following note’s rhythmic position, and unslashed grace notes come on it. Grace notes take their actual notated rhythmic value — no rules like “as fast as possible” or “half the duration” apply.

However, these rules are approximate. Grace notes are intentionally ambiguous — if I intend a precise rhythm, I notate it. Let the ornament be flexible, so that it fits in a graceful, organic way.

Slurs

Slurs primarily represent that nebulous but all-important idea of a phrase. In piano, they don’t ever just mean “legato” (though phrasing does often imply that). Where breath or bow is involved, I do use slurs to indicate breathing/bowing, but don’t take those indications too literally — I am, after all, a pianist! The phrase reigns supreme, and any unmarked bow changes that make the phrase work are welcome.

Interpretation

It’s unfortunate that I have to spell this out, but I do. Over the last century, classically trained performers developed a compulsive reverence for “the intentions of the composer.” They have come to treat scores very literally, even mechanistically, playing everything exactly as marked and striving to add nothing. While I appreciate this respect for my intentions, please don’t ever do this with my pieces! The score is only the barest skeleton of the music. The intention of this composer is for performers to interpret the music: stretch the tempo; stretch the dynamics; shape every phrase; play expressions that aren’t in the score; contradict expressions in the score; summon every color and nuance of your instrument in the service of musicality; take liberties; take risks!

That’s not to say you should ignore the score. I notate very carefully, and every mark on the page is there for a reason. That reason, however, is not pedantic literalism. Consider what’s written, internalize it, and let something new emerge that reaches beyond the score and into yourself. Make something poetic, passionate and personal out of the music. Make it your own.