Inland Viewscape - For Piano Soloist and Wind Ensemble (2025)

Program Notes:

Palisades Park was one of the first places that I visited when I moved to Spokane, and I was immediately taken with the vastness of the view, as well as by the stark beauty of its Ponderosa forests, wildflowers, and vernal pools. I have since become a constant visitor to the park, using it as a place to walk and think, meet friends, listen to quietness and the distant sounds of the city, and hunt for auroras. When I close my eyes and think about Palisades, I see a place of transition, where the city meets nature, where the plateau meets the mountains, and where our present meets an uncertain future.

When I learned about the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy's vital mission to expand this very special park, I wondered if there was a way that I as a composer could help celebrate and support their work. Inland Viewscape, for wind band, solo piano, and drone footage, was created in partnership with the talented music students of The Gonzaga University Wind Band, directed by Dr. Peter Hamlin. The film, captured by my husband Cody Barnhart, lighting sequence, created by Jon Carlson, and the slowly evolving music all combine to create an immersive space for reflection. 

The premiere concert of Inland Viewscape raised over two thousand dollars towards land conservation in the Inland Northwest.

commissioned by The Gonzaga Wind Ensemble

Duration: 8 minutes