Country Sketches

Country Sketches is a two-movement work that encapsulates my journey growing up on a farm in Western Pennsylvania. It is personal programmatic music that has moments of innocence, hope, and joy as the story unfolds. I owe my family thanks for how and where I was raised, for it has served me well being a husband and father to my own family today.
Movement I: Sunrise on the Hill captures the innocence and warmth of a beautiful sunrise on a hill just up the road from our farm house. One of my best memories growing up was playing cards into the early morning hours with my brother, cousin, and grandmother. Following those card games, we would leave my grandmother's place for a sleep over under the stars on the hill. As it was one of the highest points in our area and offered a wonderful view in any direction, the sunrise on those mornings would be spectacular. It was a treat to wake up before the sun hit and watch nature in all its beauty begin the day.
Movement II: All in a Day's Work implies just what my father always told me: "There's always work to be done on the farm". Though many days would be long baling hay and straw, running wagons for my father, making repairs, and feeding our cows, the feeling at the end of the day was always one of satisfaction. The times I spent with my brother on these days created a number of great memories as we talked about movies, music, sports, our hopes, ideas, and dreams. Some days felt like work (I had the sore arms to prove it!), but most days felt like an enjoyable time helping my father with his "hobby". Summer was and still is a busy time on the farm, and it was during these days I learned that sometimes satisfaction is in the completion of a job and doing it well.