Moving Mountains

Moving Mountains is a modern piece for percussion quartet. Though its influence may be subtle, and not easily recognized by many listeners, Moving Mountains takes its inspiration from the music of both Thailand and the Appalachian region of Kentucky. Composed as a quartet featuring two marimbas/percussionists, and two vibraphone/glocks, it puts a western spin on the instrumentation of the Piphat ensembles of northern Thailand. These ensembles often feature a mixture of wooden and metallic melodic percussion instruments, as well as membranic instruments. Melodically, the music uses limited tones and syncopated rhythms, reminiscent of the Mor Lam music style of eastern Thailand and Laos. In addition, Moving Mountains features several quotes of the American Christian hymn Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. The piece was inspired by the adoption process my wife and I have undertaken from the country of Thailand. As you can imagine, this process is daunting and stressful to say the least. The title Moving Mountains, comes from the somewhat overwhelming and challenging feelings my wife and I have felt during the adoption process, as well as the literal movement from the mountains of Thailand to the mountains of southeastern Kentucky.