San Diego Cycle (2001-present)

a search for truth (1998) -for wind ensemble, 16 page score, parts (piccolo, two flutes, two clarinets, two bass clarinets, two oboes, two bassoons, four trumpets, four horns, three tenor trombones, bass trombone, three tubas, digeridoo, percussion- I.5 timpani, crotales; II. (two players) airhose, snare drum, bass drum, marimba, xylophone; III. bamboo wind chimes, bongos/two toms, xylophone; IV. glockenspiel, two triangles, three suspended cymbals, three brake drums; V. vibraphone (with bow), coilspring, maracas, rachet, sleighbells; VI. two bell plates, small thundersheet, gong, tam tam, marimba; VII. chimes)

Box Canyon Overview (2006) -for ten percussion and piccolo/flute

encinitas and everything after (2007) - six page score, transposed parts (flute, bass clarinet, vibraphone/marimba, percussion)

For DPH (1999) -for improvising trio and tape, fifteen page score (everyone reads from score - tape, woodwind, bass and percussion), CD (15:23), tape realized August/September 1999

-written for Return To One at a point when we were still a trio, this piece uses quite a few different notations as well as leaving room for solos from the group members. Several other concepts used were pitch cells, poly-tempo melodic fragments, rhythmic notation, shape notation, and the very nice ending melodic section. Below are program notes from the debut (and only) performance - Monday, October 4, 1999 SDSU Smith Recital Hall

"…to me the world is sound. Sound penetrates me, linking me to the world. I give sound active meaning. By doing this I am assured of being in the sound, becoming one with them. To me this is the greatest reality. It is not that I shape anything, but rather that I desire to merge with the world." Toru Takemitsu

After forty-seven years of running a contracting business in Encinitas, the city of Encinitas decided this year to cancel my grandfathers company's lease, thus forcing them to move. I decided to start taping some of the sounds of the yard as a way of remembering something that has been a major part of my life. During this time in my life, I was listening to and studying pieces by Kenneth Gaburo, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Tony Oxley for electronic tape and various instruments. I decided these tapes I was making would make an interesting piece. The tape was digitally recorded to mini-disc and later, using a four-track recorder, was overdubbed, looped, recorded backwards and pitch shifted. No effects were used. As well as a wide variety of sounds (including oil compressors, gas compressors, tractors, engines, back-up sirens, a creek and various crows and birds), the voices on the tape are - Don Hubbard, Marty Jens, Jim Jenson and myself. The piece originally started with political overtones but listening to it now, as a finished product, I believe it is simply a statement that things change. For my grandfather and my father. -NMH

Indian Head Canyon (2003-2004) three page score, everyone reads from score (clarinet/tenor saxophone, trombone, guitar, acoustic bass, percussion)

San Dieguito River (2002, revised 2003) score, transposed parts (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, two electric guitars, two basses, piano, drumkit/percussion)

San Dieguito River comes from the san diego cycle. The piece was inspired by the twenty-seven miles that the San Dieguito River takes from the Anza-Borrego Desert to meet the Pacific Ocean in Del Mar. The music is based on different layers of instruments and interaction, with the double bass line with percussion forming an ostinato that plays thru-out the piece. The two pianos and the wind/strings instruments have been given four to five background cues for each solo section to be cued by section leaders. Depending on where and when these backgrounds are played, different strata appear, with backgrounds of different lengths revolving and intertwining. over this activity, two soloists (in this case, a wind player and a guitarist) play with and against this modal backdrop, constantly shifting between simultaneous soloing, accompanying each other or dropping out to allow the other to solo. Structurally the piece opens and closes with these solos, with a large notated section in the middle. The notated section takes these ideas of strata to heart, with two overlapping wind ostinati (tenor saxophone and horn, bass clarinet and bassoon) slowly developing as the soprano saxophone/violin melody unfolds.

In addition to the river, this piece was inspired by my Aunt Sandys tales of riding her bike to Del Mar (on the dirt, still being build, interstate 5) to visit Stella as a teenager, by Stellas paintings of Del Mar and by a great morning with my little sister taking pictures of the birds and the train tracks where the river mouth meets the ocean.

Sand, Wind and the Vast Pacific Ocean (2002, revised 2003) transposed parts/score (one for strings, one for winds) (soprano saxophone, clarinet, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, violin, electric guitar, cello, acoustic bass, harp, piano, drumkit/percussion)

Sand, Wind... is about Swami's, about standing at the edge of the world watching the sun pass over one more time. Late fall evenings at Moonlight with the wind pouring off the ocean and you sheilding your ears from the cold. Its about the sea cliffs in encinitas, worn from the water and the wind, giant statues of passing time and slow moving change.

Those who remember (2001, revised 2003) -for improvising quintet, piano and tape, two page quintet score, one page piano score, CD (3:22), tape realized July 2001

Written for the group Cosmologic, this piece was originally conceived of as a studio piece so that Scott Walton could play both the piano and bass parts. It was later expanded to include guitarist Al Scholl. The piece uses quarter-tone notation, shape notation, melodic fragments and repetition structures. The tape was constructed out of processed florescent light and clock recordings with pitch shifted brake drums entering towards the end. This section was conceived as a stepping off point for extended improvisation and a chance to have all of Cosmologic play percussion. Inspired by a strange evening to Tijuana with Greg Buhlert to see Pan Sonic at Don Loope. My truck was broken into and someone stole my backpack and stickbag, nothing of any value - minidiscs from an RTO tour and a notebook of my poetry. This led me to think about RTO minidiscs, which I never got to listen to. So this piece is about memory consolidation, the passing of time and is dedicated to Justin Grinnell, one of the few people to attend the concert documented on a lost mindisc. This piece was performed as a whole when Rick Helzer the quartet Return To One at a performance on June 25th 2002.

Walled Garden (for Ruth Larabee) (1994) -one page lead sheet

Waterlillies (for James Lynn) (2004) - for piano, vibraphone, acoustic bass and percussion - five page score

all is silent (1998-1999) lead sheet, transposed parts

blurred image (1998) lead sheet, transposed parts

bright lights (1999-2000) two page score, everyone reads from score (two woodwinds, bass, percussion)

castles in the clouds (1998) lead sheet, transposed parts

the checkerboard (1998) lead sheet, transposed parts

dancing horses (on the wall) (1998) lead sheet, transposed parts

firecliffs (2000) five page score, transposed parts (soprano/alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, bass, drumkit)

the freeway (1998)

in her garden (1998) two page score (solo piano)

in her garden II (2001) three page score (soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, vibraphone, acoustic bass)

kaleidoscope moon (early version) (1998) four page score, transposed parts (alto saxophone, bass, percussion-thundersheet, gong, two hubcaps, large spring, two bell plates, two triangles, small indian bells or finger cymbal chain, bongoes, low tom or conga, concert bass drum)

kaleidoscope moon I (1998-2001) five page score, everyone reads from score (soprano/alto/baritone saxophone, tenor/baritone saxophone/bass clarinet, bass, percussion-vibraphone/marimba/chimes)

kaleidoscope moon II (1999-2001) four page score, transposed parts (soprano and two tenor saxophones,
high voice, bass, percussion -two glockenspiels, two vibraphones, xylophone, chimes, almglocken and gong)

kaleidoscope moon III (1999) two page score, everyone reads from score (two woodwinds, bass, percussion)

the leaf song (1998) lead sheet, transposed parts

lonesome tree (1999) lead sheet, transposed parts

october calm (1999) lead sheet, transposed parts

parabolic flower (1998) one page score for any size ensemble

promises (1998-1999) lead sheet, transposed parts

secrets (for stella) (2000) two page score, transposed parts (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone/bass clarinet, bass, drumkit, high voice)

something bright for a dark corner (2000) two page score, transposed parts (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone/bass clarinet, bass, drumkit)

starsong (1999-2001) four page score, transposed parts (soprano/alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, bass, drumkit)

wind (standing waves) (1998) lead sheet, transposed parts

who are those guys? #3 (1999) lead sheet, transposed parts