D-Will, the chase-down block, and other orderly butterflies.

instrumentation: string quartet (violin, violin, viola, and violoncello)
duration: c. 7’00”-10’00”
dedication: to Michael Stern, for hard work, inspiration, and concerts
premiere: March 7th, 2019 by MIVOS Quartet; Pittsburgh, PA

 D-Will, the chase-down block, and other orderly butterflies. 
is a meditation on causation and retroactive investigation. An eventual trajectory and even the potential presence of trajectory is slowly revealed and immediately taken away once discovered. The piece's form takes shape through a crossfade of specificity and intelligibility leaving both sides arguably ambiguous with a seemingly unpredicted result. In the title's case, we are offered "D-Will" which refers to former NBA player Deron Williams, "the chase-down block" which refers to Lebron James' chase-down block in the 2016 NBA Finals, and "other orderly butterflies." which refers to an organized "butterfly effect" and insinuates that both Deron Williams, the player, and Lebron James' block may have also been seemingly inconsequential moments of impact in a larger scheme which greatly affected the resultant league today. I am amazed and obsessed with how these and other obvious or completely unrelated connections coalesce at unexpected awe-inspiring and devastating moments. 