For Solo Alto Saxophone

Duration: ca. 5:00

Program Note

Unpopular opinion: I don’t like butterflies. They’re a bit chaotic, scattered, and unpredictable – basically like flies without the imminent threat of landing on one’s food. Starting out as caterpillars before transforming into alien-like creatures with scary-looking antennas and a nightmarish body and wings – very unsettling.

After being subjugated to their extreme migration south into Mexico while living in South Texas, I immediately chose to vent this very personal take on butterflies musically by writing a crazy fun piece for solo saxophone. The resulting work explores the butterfly’s undeniable resolve as they travel 2,500 miles south during early October (as they overwhelm in hordes throughout South Texas) in an effort to escape the colder winters from up North, as well as to paint a strikingly beautiful yet terrifying visual of butterflies blotting out the sky in spontaneous fashion before smacking against a windshield or becoming injured to the swatting of one’s hand. Taking this bold journey of migration towards survival into account with their horrific jagged-like flying patterns and invasion by swarm, it’s fair to say that there is great terror to be found on both sides.

I am very proud to showcase this clash between beautiful spontaneity and pure chaos as a stylized aleatoric composition for the solo woodwind repertoire. This piece serves as both a satirical joke on how I personally view butterflies, as well as an advocation for the tumultuous journey monarch butterflies take to continue their species survival year after year.