Gray by Alex Howley

Gray is a piece written mostly based on improvisations using a few simple motives that are strung together. The piece is a rondo, following an a-b-a-c-a-b-a form (with an overarching a-b-a form), and is written to be heavily expressive and flow cleanly between each section while still maintaining different styles within the short piece. It is technically challenging and can show off each side of a performer’s musicality in a very short period of time. It is designed to reflect the feelings of unsurety that accompany the “gray areas” in life, and can be an emotionally satisfying piece to perform. There are almost no rests notated, which is meant to emphasize the constant flow of the piece, and stickings are intentionally excluded to encourage musical expression.