for alto saxophone and fixed media

This piece was commissioned by Alvin Phan, a doctoral saxophone student who wanted to perform a new piece based on an issue he is passionate about: the mistreatment of animals in the meat industry. I worked with Alvin to create a solo alto saxophone work that incorporates a number of extended techniques for the instrument, implemented in a score that utilizes semi-improvisatory musical gestures via cell-based notation. The work also features fixed media that depicts the progress of humankind from its simple, naturalistic origins toward a most inhumane present (though none of the samples in the electronics are actual sounds of animal cruelty, the way I've manipulated them can be disturbing in context).

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Performance History

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March 25, 2025 - Alvin Phan DMA Recital, by Alvin Phan - Frost School of Music, Miami, FL

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April 5, 2025 - NASA 2025 Region VI Conference, by Alvin Phan - McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA

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January 10, 2026 - US Navy Band Saxophone Symposium, by Alvin Phan - George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

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March 13, 2026 - NASA 2026 Biennial Conference, by Alvin Phan - The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH