This past Winter I took some time to reflect upon the three months I spent in Italy, and the most rememberable moment was not of seeing the many historical tourist attractions in Rome, Florence, or Venice (as amazing as they were), but instead, I found the inspiration for this piece through my experiences hiking Monte Girella (part of Montagna dei Fiori), near Ascoli Piceno. The piece represents somewhat of a story line from beginning to end...

The beginning is warm and expressive, featuring the brass and low strings which paints a picture of a pre-sunrise sky at the foot of a large mountain. The entrance of percussive sticks, a harp, and xylophone brighten the scene at 0:49, which represents the rising sun. Gradually, the intensity picks up as I begin climbing higher and higher. The stick sounds represent the loose rocks underneath, rolling around as I step upon them. Precisely at 3:00 in the piece, I have reached the top of the mountain with a vast expansive view all around me. Words cannot describe how beautiful the landscape and surrounding mountains appear. An abrupt change in color heading into 3:45 represents an ominous change in weather- the wind is picking up, which subsequently blew my camera off the top of the mountain...which ultimately represents the darkest point of the composition. Things start to pick up again tempo-wise as I head down the mountain, bringing back some familiar themes, and chord structures as I pass by familiar trails and views. At last, the piece ends just the way it started, except the major 7th above the minor triad is missing, giving it a more resolved and lighter conclusion.

Thank you for listening and reading through! I'd love to hear your comments!

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