Exod(us) (Duet for Euphonium & Percussion)

Exod(us) explores the complex emotions of leaving one home behind to begin anew knowing, deep down, that even if you return, it may never be the same.

Genre: Duet for Euphonium & Percussion | # of Players: 2
Series: N/A
Level: Medium Advanced | Duration: 8:30

Instrumentation
Euphonium
Percussion: Vibraphone, Sizzle Cymbal, Bongos

Program Notes
Exod(us) explores the complex emotions of leaving one home behind to begin anew knowing, deep down, that even if you return, it may never be the same. This piece is rooted in my own move from Oklahoma City to Austin in May 2024, a deeply transitional moment filled with both chaos and clarity.

The week leading up to our move was a whirlwind. I conducted the premiere of my Cosmic Lighthouse during a composer residency, battled a stubborn cold, and—alongside my wife, Iris—packed, loaded, and drove a U-Haul to our new home in Austin. We were leaving behind a city we had come to love, where we had lived twice, grown into adulthood, and learned to live without the safety net or demand of graduate school.

That move wasn’t just physical, though. It marked a shift in mindset, identity, and emotional space. We had made peace with our second chapter in Oklahoma City and were taking a leap into the next, cutting our distance from family in half and stepping into a high-rise apartment that, for a short time, felt like a dream.

The music unfolds as a series of seven miniatures, structured in an arch form (ABCDCBA), each reflecting a stage of this journey—both literal and emotional:

i. a million things (between here and there): the mountain of boxes, loose ends, and to-dos before a move

ii. compartmentalizing: deciding what to take with you, what to leave behind

iii. leap of faith: locking the door one last time, stepping into the unknown

iv. exod(us): the sentimental and transient moment of leaving, with no turning back

v. tunnel vision: staying focused, pushing forward

vi. decompartmentalizing: unpacking your things and your emotions in a new space

vii. walking on clouds: the quiet joy of settling into, in this case, our apartment overlooking downtown Austin

In May 2025, just one year later, life brought us back to our original home in the Rio Grande Valley due to a significant family emergency. Though our time in Austin felt brief—just as we were beginning to settle—it left an imprint. This piece was the first I composed in that apartment, and it now holds the memory of that season.

Exod(us) is, at its core, about transitions: those inevitable, often bittersweet shifts we face throughout life. Wherever we go next, this piece will remind me: change is constant, and that’s just part of it all.

Exod(us) was commissioned by the Moreau VanTuinen Duo for their performance at the 2024 International Women’s Brass Conference in Mito City, Japan.