I took a trip to Korea to play in some recitals with an excellent haegeum player. Along the way I managed to snap off some photos.

A pu’u in the back of Manoa valley that I often hike. It may not be the most spectacular hike on the island, but it never gets boring.

The University of Hawaii Contemporary Music Ensemble, a group I direct, is taking on a unique piece this Spring. Stephen Scott’s Vikings of the Sunrise is a piece written for an ensemble of 10 performers, all playing a single piano. But most of this piece isn’t played on the keys. Instead, the ensemble plays directly on the strings by striking them with piano hammers, plucking with guitar picks and – perhaps most notably – bowing the strings with rosined fishing line.

We’re all excited to be performing the first part of this piece here in Hawaii, especially since it’s a work that directly connects to this place (the subtitle of the piece is “Fantasy on the Polynesian Star Navigators”). For the past few weeks, the ensemble has been working to prepare the piano by placing bows on the strings, labeling strings, and constructing “bow traps” (devices that keep the bows from tangling when not in use). It’s been a great adventure for us so far, and we’re looking forward to working with the composer himself in preparation for the concert in April.

Here are some photos of the preparations in progress:

Today proved to be a an ideal day to try the recently-cleared Manoa Middle trail and enjoy some quiet. A good day to avoid the television.

Taken on the Aihualama trail in Manoa valley.

I knew this going in. The monsoon season in Asia is always hot, humid and rainy. Fortunately, this trip had little rain, though there was plenty of heat. Still, it was a fantastic trip.

The past few weeks I’ve been able to enjoy a break from teaching and composing, using the time instead to travel to the Big Island and to Korea. I take a break like this for a couple of weeks each year, and it’s something I look forward to. Relaxing, recharging the batteries – whatever one chooses to name it – is important, especially to anyone who needs inspiration to create anything. One can only learn so much looking down at a desk or at a computer screen. And on the Big Island it’s easy to take it easy.

I’ve always had a fascination with water. I’ve written music inspired by it, I like to spend time in it, and I live in a place surrounded by thousands of miles of it. That water can look so beautiful on a miniature scale only makes it more interesting to me.

Traveling to and from Hawaii can be a tiring experience. I most often find myself on the Chicago-Honolulu flight, a long nine hours in the air. After the long flight I always look forward to the sight of the islands out the window. There’s something comforting about seeing land after hours of endless sea.

Last night pianist Derek Kealii Polischuk premiered my new work “The Ends of the Earth” at Michigan State University (which is not at the end of the earth).  It’s a demanding piece, probably the most difficult piece I’ve written.  The score calls upon the performer to use some unfamiliar techniques – one movement is played almost entirely with piano hammers.  He navigated the unfamiliar territory with grace, and the premiere went very well. Here are a few photos from the event: