I love music which is in conversation with itself, and in variations with sand in the gears the cellist gets to be all the voices in a raucous argument. A groovy, dance-like theme undergoes a series of colorful variations which bristle with different techniques, registers, articulations, and sounds. However, rather than being structured in discrete sections, this is music which continually interrupts itself in a constant state of transformation – like grains of sand rattling in the gears of a machine. This short, virtuosic, and wacky piece was written as an encore-length work for the incredible cello soloist Alex Hersh, and I’m so grateful to him for his collaboration and artistry. Over the course of our work together, his personality, sense of humor, and many of his musical ideas found their way into the piece. Itwas a joy to create this piece together!”

–PAUL NOVAK

Premiered on January 15, 2025, at the NLM Artists in Residence concert.