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).

​

Performance History

​

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

​

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