Ocean Tides

The inspiration for this piece came from my personal attraction to water. I am drawn to the sense of peace, possibilities, and comfort it evokes, especially in the continuous, rhythmic cycle of tides in the ocean. Tides are enormous waves that move across the planet. They are caused by the gravitational pull of the earth, moon, and sun. When the crest of the wave reaches a coast, a high tide occurs. When it recedes, the coast experiences a low tide. Tides are one of the most reliable phenomena in the world. As the sun rises in the east and the stars come out at night, we are confident that the ocean waters will regularly rise and fall along our shores.

I wrote Ocean Tides as a musical interpretation of this marvel of nature. The reassuring and calming effect of the melodic theme returns several times in various registers of the piano and represents a low tide. Measures 15 – 18 are a transition into movement toward high tide. In the Con moto section, you can feel the waves gathering steam in a lyrical, sweeping fashion. The waves in the Piu mosso section are churning, and they ultimately reach their crest around measure 40, before they slowly dissipate. The entire cycle begins anew in measure 44, and in the Coda, peace and harmony are present once again. The final chord represents the gorgeous moonlight glistening on the water as the waves subside.

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