WORLD PREMIERE: April 26, 2015 | Jessica Thomas (flute), Josh Trentadue (piano) | Hart Recital Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
—November 19, 2016 | Jessica Thomas (flute), Josh Trentadue (piano) | Cook Recital Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan

"A Squirrelly Scherzo" was originally composed for Jessica Lee Thomas's undergraduate senior recital at Michigan State University (and yes, her favorite animal is indeed squirrels). When writing this scherzo, I was reminded of the cartoons in the Golden Age of cinema and its wacky characters getting into all sorts of trouble in such a short amount of time. While Jessica and I attended Michigan State, a general comment among the student community was the abundant number of squirrels that seemingly overpopulate the campus every year. As such, this piece was very fun to write and an immensely gratifying experience overall.

The piece begins with a bright morning, using a quote from a popular Rossini overture, as our furry friend wakes up from its slumber. From there, the squirrel jumps down from its home in the trees and begins its daily search for food. The quirkiness of this animal is represented musically through the use of cartoonish pauses throughout and short figures representing the squirrel's quick movements. Throughout its sporadic adventures, the squirrel does manage to fulfill its search for food while also avoiding several dangerous predators (think of cars rapidly speeding by as the squirrel attempts to cross the road, or dogs chasing the squirrel for fun). Fortunately, our furry friend does survive to live another day.

This newly revised version of "A Squirrelly Scherzo" better captures my original compositional intent and is based on previous performances of the work. The two flute cadenzas have been slightly tweaked, dynamics and articulations reworked for the sake of balance, and more technical directions have been given to each of the performers to better capture the programmatic spirit of the piece's conceptual ideas.

I owe it to Jessica for not only mastering the technical challenges of this scherzo, but also giving it a life and character far surpassing the boundaries of the music.