Composition
Connor started writing music as an early teenager, arranging contemporary pop songs for classical ensembles. His music has been featured on local news stations, concerts and events around the Salt Lake City valley. Although he is professionally pursuing a career performing violin, he is often commissioned to compose and writes music recreationally in his spare time. This is a small example of his work.
Tetris for String Quartet
Tetris is one of the most iconic early video games of the industry. Players would spend hours stacking oddly shaped blocks listening to a never-ending musical loop. The tune was adapted from the Russian folk song "Korobeiniki" and instantly reminds old-school gamers of the classic Tetris puzzle. Originally, I was interested in the harmonic properties of the piece, so I dictated and analyzed it. Once it was all on paper, I was inspired to arrange it into a concert program. Originally, I started writing it for violin and piano, but my string quartet, the Salt Quartet, needed a piece for a music festival, so I adapted it. Just as the video game loops endlessly, the piece recycles the same melodic and harmonic material through the lens of various styles, including a Waltz, Tango, and Fantasia.
As a lifelong violinist, I've always wanted to write a piece for solo violin. Being familiar with the solo violin works of Bach and Telemann, this is my take on the genre.
Twentieth century classical composers dramatically changed the musical language they wrote in. This piece is written in the atonal language of the early New German School.
To commission Connor to compose an original piece, arrange an existing piece, or write a string part for your song, find his contact information on the About page
Music is such a part of me that sometimes I dream music. One night, I dreamt I was a prisoner of my own mind. I tried in vain to escape, but was unable to until a beautiful stranger showed me a trap door. I hurried through it into the maze of my consciousness. I could hear this music as I searched for reality, until finally, I woke up. Sometimes we hold ourselves prisoner, preventing us from living our true selves. Originating in my dreams, this piece expresses that inner conflict.
The brilliance of J. S. Bach is exemplified by his Crab Canon, a short, single line of music for two instruments in which one player plays it forward while the other reads it backwards. Inspired by this, I challenged myself to write a similar line of music that could be played alongside Bach's original composition, resulting in a four-part counterpoint. Once I accomplished this, I continued to imitate Bach, developing the theme with a chromatic fugue, short chorale, and sequencing.
Maya Angelou's poem "Caged Bird" is deeply touching to me. Its musical subject, poetic expressiveness and rich imagery beg for a musical setting. I wanted to give her words power and life through music while expressing the personal emotions and metaphors. The free bird is expressed by a flowing joyful subject in B major, while the caged bird passionately sings in E minor. Though minor keys are frequently associated with negativity, the caged bird sings not of sadness, but of freedom. While experiencing pain and hardship, the caged bird creates beauty and soothes himself with the power of song.