Race (2006)
for Pulse Ensemble

(Trumpet, Electric Guitar, Flute/Clarinet, Flute/Clarinet, Horn, Tuba, Vibraphone, Electric Piano, String Quartet)
​substitutes available for woodwind doubles

8 minutes

Like John Adams' Short Ride in a Fast Machine or Micheal Torke's Javelin or Run, I wanted Race to be a portrait of motion; a linear progression of movement to the end, much like an actual race. However there were no images of runners in my mind as I was composing of the piece. It was only after my composition was completed that I looked back upon it, and this sense of movement that I heard lead me to explore running as a metaphor. One of the first photos I found was a photo of Marion Jones from the 2000 Olympics. No matter what you think of her, I just found the photo an accurate depiction of the joy running (and winning, in this case) can bring out in someone and that is one feeling I want Race to give to the listener. Going all the way back to the 1920 Olympics it was wonderful to learn about and see photos of the great runners of the past such as Paavo Nurmi, Kip Keino, Wilma Rudolph, Jesse Owens, and Joan Beniot, all whose photos and more are used in the slide show that accompanies the performance of Race.