Commissioned by the Austin Classical Guitar Society.
Austin Pictures is a suite of musical portraits of life in Austin, TX. The sweeping arpeggios of the first movement depict the flowing hills around Austin and the palpable optimism present in this city. The impressionistic harmony and textures of the second movement evoke the light shining off Ladybird Johnson Lake. The third movement is a Tom Waits-ian dance in honor of the misfit bird, the grackle. The phrase “violet crown” is attributed to the author O. Henry and describes the violet and lavender hues of the city’s sunsets. The final movement is a primal dance depicting the rapid expansion and development of Austin in recent years.