Interior Lullaby

The writing of Interior Lullaby was, admittedly, a very experimental process—far

more so than my usual working method. My aim in this piece was to stretch a small

amount of material as far as it could possibly go, and so nearly this entire work is

based on a simple seven-note melodic figure, which is itself taken from another

piece of mine, a work for mixed chamber ensemble entitled gilding cages.

I felt that this melody, as it originally stood, had untapped potential (in gilding

cages it merely occurs as a transitional device), and so Interior Lullaby serves to

magnify this material, and to observe it as if from inside a hall of mirrors. Starting

from the very top of the piano’s range, the melody is heard in both hands in quasi-

canonic imitation as it gradually travels down the length of the instrument. As the

piece progresses, different rhythmicizations of the theme bring out different implied harmonies between the hands; capturing these is one of the most important facets of performing this piece.

Interior Lullaby was also composed in the days leading up to and following the 2024 American presidential election. While I often find pieces that are directly “about” politics to be gauche, art of course cannot exist in a vacuum. I found that slipping inside the delicate sound world of this piece provided a moment of solace—I hope it does the same for both performer and listener alike, should they desire that.

Stiefel Hall (The New School)

New York, NY

April 18, 2025