Outer Voices

Outer Voices (2022) was commissioned by saxophonist Zach Arthur and explores the emotional and musical facets of disruption and harmony, doubt and clarity, and the journey of finding one’s inner compass. Outer Voices was inspired by a conversation with Zach in which we discussed the weight of outside expectations and how those expectations can lead to confusion and indignation or spur growth and direction. I also sought to investigate the concept of outer voices from a music theoretical perspective, with those voices attempting to command the piece’s polyphonic unfolding. Here, the piano and saxophone alternately align and diverge, representing one’s inner and outer world. Many thanks to Zach for commissioning and premiering this work and for his support of new music for saxophone.