12 MINUTES | STRING QUARTET | 2025

But I Am a Worm takes its inspiration from Psalm 22 of the Old Testament. In the psalm, King David cries out to God in profound despair, feeling abandoned, powerless, and insignificant despite having known God's faithfulness throughout his life. At the emotional center of the text is the declaration, "But I am a worm, and no man," expressing complete humility and desolation in the face of suffering. For Christians, Psalm 22 holds particular significance because many of its verses foreshadow the suffering of Jesus Christ. The work reflects on these themes of abandonment, endurance, and hope, drawing its emotional trajectory from the tension between human despair and enduring faith. During the time of this piece’s composition, minimalist and post-minimalist works by Henryk Górecki, Giya Kancheli, Gavin Bryers, and Arvo Pärt were of large inspiration.

6 MINUTES | STRING QUARTET | 2025

In the spring of 2025, I got married, and I composed the bridal processional that my wife walked down the aisle to. I wrote my wife three bridal processionals to choose from, and she ended up walking down the aisle to the first movement - Hailey's Walk. The second movement, Something Blue, is a romantic conversation between the strings. The third movement, which is titled Serenade for Spring was very much inspired by the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings - a beautiful piece for string orchestra. Each piece has a moment when the doors should open to reveal the bride and then another moment when the bride is to begin walking down the aisle. During the compositional process, we visited the venue where I was to be married, and we actually timed how long it would take Hailey to reach the end of the aisle. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the piece.