Peak to Peak

for Symphony Orchestra

"Peak to Peak" for Symphony Orchestra is inspired by nature in Aspen, CO, depicting the ever-changing life of a musician. The choir sends the message that this world is fleeting, and every moment could be our last. Existence itself induces suffering, so it is vital to find a way of being that is so meaningful that it makes suffering no longer relevant. This path of least resistance looks different for everyone. The message that home is not so far as it is in our hearts propels this notion. Peak to Peak plays on one's idea of what a peak is. In the literal sense, Aspen enables one to climb a mountain's peak and engage in a physical task. To reach the top with the knowledge that one can do it for oneself is intrinsically motivating. In a figurative sense, a peak can mean achieving some separable consequence. Achieving something in an abstract space, one is extrinsically motivated to gain from some reward system. These sources of motivation hold varying values based on one's underlying most authentic desires. This reality is exemplified through music as music is change itself. Finding some sense of home and meaning is what the human experience is all about.