Program Notes:

As a composer, I’m usually aware of the approximate length and trajectory of the sections I’m composing, but in writing TaleTeller, I found myself surprised at the direction the piece wanted to take. This work gave me the impression I was listening to someone else tell stories or tales, and I hoped to reflect that amusing process in the title. In addition, the piece makes use of the basic musical idea of two repeated notes, which occur in every significant melodic or motivic line, so I found the alliteration of TaleTeller fitting.

TaleTeller was commissioned by the Trombones of the Saint Louis Symphony for trombone quartet, and was premiered at the University of Central Arkansas in 2020. The arrangement for four bassoons was created for Hank Skolnick and premiered at Interlochen Arts Camp on July 30, 2024.