Composer's Note: Willows was commissioned by Tiantian Liang, who premiered it on February 24, 2025, at the Kitt Recital Hall in the Kitt School of Music of Northern Arizona University. She has described its opening moments as a musical representation of the swaying motion of willows in a gentle breeze. As a supplement to that imagery, I offer the following story, which led me to compose an earlier piano work, and which once again occupied my thoughts while composing Willows. While in Massachusetts, I visited a pond where I used to hike with my mother and father and their dog. While walking along the shoreline, I noticed what I thought was a most ugly creature swimming toward me. What could it be, an unusually large bullfrog? To my surprise, it turned out to be a very beautiful muskrat that continued parallel to my course at about fifteen feet while playfully diving and surfacing for air in gentle alternation. After about five minutes, it disappeared into a grove of willows. Under a clear blue sky with a gentle breeze and a warm sun, that moment was imbued with great quietude, beauty, and wonder. I am certain the muskrat had the spirit of my father, and I hope this piece has some of that as well. Fingerings were provided by Tiantian Liang.
