Begun in 1993, Pathways is a series of works for solo instrument and chamber orchestra which consists of a single, fixed accompaniment in the ensemble through which each of the featured solo instruments traverses a unique path. To date, four iterations of the work have been composed, featuring trombone, percussion, soprano saxophone, and piano. The conceptual metaphor for Pathways is that of a traveler’s unique and personal interaction with their surroundings on any given journey. Though a single road may be taken by several individuals (or by the same individual on different occasions), such factors as the time of day, climate, or the traveler’s mood can have a profound effect upon the experience and consequent response of the individual. In the Pathways series, the ensemble acts as a sonic landscape through which the soloist (i.e., “traveler”) wends its way. Because the solo part is intended to reflect the distinctive character of the featured instrument, the music within the accompanying ensemble is recontextualized in each version of Pathways, thus influencing the dynamic unfolding of the overall work.

Pathways IV: Rhymes & Spirals was composed in 2023-24 for pianist Redi Llupa, and is intended as a commentary on the political and cultural events in the United States (and elsewhere in the world) over the previous decade. The title refers to the cyclical nature of political ideologies, global pandemics, social movements, and the disruption to the prevailing order associated with these phenomena.