Juggling Thunder was the result of a few years of (on and off) close collaboration with Sebastião Sheldrick. It was finished in the spring of 2026. The piece's title comes from the juxtaposition of the two instruments involved. Violin and timpani are two instruments that would initially appear to be clear opposites. In discussing a potential framework of the piece, Seb and I decided to set out to show off these differences but also explore how similarly the two instruments can sound. How can a violin be percussive and commanding like the timpani, how can the timpani sing softly and sweetly like a violin?
The initial narrative of the piece was about power and control - the violinist learning to harness the storm (thunder) and control it. However, as the piece progressed, and this collaboration with Seb continued, a new meaning emerged. Rather than the violin finding ways to dominate the timpani, a dialogue emerged. A piece about control became one about communication - breaking free of restrictions through collaboration. As a result, the ending of this piece features an extensive section of improvisation. The closing moments of the work are left up to the musicians to decide upon as these two characters we've heard develop throughout the piece improvise an ending together. In this way, each performance of the work will have a different ending - determined by the free collaboration and communication of the performers on stage.
Movements: I. Storm - 2 min. II. Eye - 5 min. III. Atmokinesis - 7 min. - can vary with improvisation length