Pathways is a series of works for solo instrument and chamber orchestra consisting of a single, fixed orchestral accompaniment through which the featured instrument wends its way. To date, versions for trombone, percussion, and soprano saxophone have been completed. The work is dedicated to my wife, Heidi, and my son, Gabriel.

Each of the solo parts has been composed with the properties and characteristics of the given instrument in mind, and therefore each version of Pathways presents a unique relationship between soloist and ensemble. For the composer, the obvious challenge in such a project is in composing individual solo parts which have no direct influence on or relationship to one another, yet which are organically linked to the single fixed accompaniment.

The conceptual metaphor for Pathways is that of a traveler and his/her unique and personal relationship with the surroundings on any given journey. Though a single road may be taken by several individuals (or by the same individual on different occasions), the various experiences and responses to a particular environment may differ substantially. Such factors as time of day, climate, or the traveler's mood can have a profound effect upon the experience and consequent response of the individual. In the case of this work, the orchestra acts as a sonic landscape through which the soloist (i.e., the traveler) passes. As the solo part is intended to reflect the unique "personality" of a particular featured instrument, these may differ from one another substantially, to the extent that each section within the work as a whole may be directed (and subsequently perceived) in a number of different ways, thus influencing its dynamic unfolding.

The second in the series, Pathways: Revolution was composed for Daniel Hostetler, and was supported in part by a grant from the Jerome Foundation through the Minnesota Composers Forum Composer Commissioning Program. The primary impetus behind this version was the Los Angeles riots of 1992, as reflected in the confrontational character of the solo percussion part: here the soloist acts as aggressor, responding to the orchestra with apocalyptic fury throughout. The work is in four movements, each of which is named for the time and location of a potential outbreak of violent activity in the Los Angeles area. In Fairfax, 5:38 am. Tuesday., the soloist begins unobtrusively, gradually emerging to wage an all-out assault upon the orchestra; the movement closes with a series of explosive attacks from the soloist as the orchestral accompaniment eventually breaks down. Cahuenga, 11:57 pm. Friday. opens with a confrontation between the orchestral percussion and the soloist, the latter inevitably overtaking only to contend with the brass. Following this opening onslaught, the percussion becomes uncharacteristically passive, acting in concord with the orchestra for the remainder of the movement. Sepulveda, 3:14 pm. Sunday. begins quietly, gradually building in intensity throughout; here the soloist reacts to the orchestra, culminating in an aggressive exchange between the soloist and orchestral bass drum. In Lankershim, 10:24 am. Wednesday., a violent flourish in the solo percussion gives way to a placid yet brief orchestral introduction. The remainder of the movement engages the entire orchestra in contention with the furious moto perpetuo of the solo percussion. Even as the forces relent at the conclusion of the work, there remains an atmosphere of unrest and discontent. Pathways: Revolution is in no way intended as a social or political manifesto, but rather as a response to the vivid images and profound consequences of such domestic social strife.

Models used in Pathways are drawn from various natural phenomena such as numerical sequences (which, though ubiquitous, are often overlooked), fractals (recursive structures, as are found in crystals, pinecones, or broccoli flowers), chaotic systems (such as water currents or weather systems), and entropy (the increasing degree of disorder within the physical universe, as demonstrated by the breaking of a glass or by the natural decay of an organism). The following summary should serve to illustrate how these various systems are applied and manifested within Pathways:

The entire work is divided into sections based upon the numbers 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11 (prime number series), which recur at multiple levels within the work, including rhythmic patterning, pitch sequences, and even the number and distribution of the orchestra parts (fractal progression). The large-scale sections are then superimposed to create a series of seemingly irregular but symmetrical structural points (palindrome). Each of these overlapping sections is characterized by either a steady or dynamic state (stasis/entropy) in one of five parameters: timbre, texture, volume (i.e., dynamic level), register, and tempo. These sections may interact and develop in either a linear (causal) or non-linear (chaotic) fashion. On the local levels, instrumental lines may either attract or repel one another (magnetic fields) in any number of ways.