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Three Sketches

By mike In

Solo I

Solo II

Duo

Each of the Three Sketches was conceived of independently of the others, but are nevertheless related in their aesthetic of simplicity, grace, and line, and each has a strong improvisatory quality. Solo I, partly inspired by W. P. Kinsella’s The Iowa Baseball Conspiracy, involves a trumpet playing into a resonating piano (an idea introduced to me by Stuart Dempster), creating a delicate, shimmering effect. Solo II also uses the resonating piano; the piece is straightforward, presenting a simple line that expands into a full diatonic cluster, which then falls away to reveal the original melody. In Duo, the piano has at its disposal seven notes, fixed in register; they are then mirrored across the piano for another set of seven. The trumpet fills out the other five notes of the chromatic set.