I hesitate to write too much for fear of interrupting the cool focus of my residency here at Copland House. However, I wanted to report progress on revisions of my guitar work, They Say, as well as my recent piano work, Inner Truth. While hindsight may not always be 20/20, there is something to be said for viewing a work from some distance, perhaps more objectively than in the heat of the creative moment.

I am enjoying the quiet, positive pressure of working at Aaron Copland’s piano and sturdy wood desk, not to mention listening to unexpected finds in the CD collection. A recording of the works of Henry Brandt has struck me quite strongly. I remember playing one of his works as a young violinist in the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony and thinking how interesting it was to have winds placed throughout the hall. Outside that experience as a performer, however, I’ve had little exposure to his music. The sheer force and color of some of what I’m hearing on this disc is enough to warrant further listening and study.

In addition to my listening activities, I have appreciated the many scores of previous residents (not to mention Copland’s own work), which are always readily available for those times when I’m wondering where to turn or what else is possible. With a little under a week left, I’m looking forward to further inspiration and discoveries here in this historic landmark and living testament to the continued influence of Copland as a titan of American music.