“Mixed Conclusion” was composed in October 2025. I built the opening melody around the rhythmic groove and push of repeated notes—a technique I’ve always felt is often overlooked. The tonal center begins in D minor but moves freely in a non-traditional way. The challenge lies in maintaining the sense of returning to D minor while exploring varied harmonic directions. Generally speaking as chord progressions become more modern, this can be increasingly difficult. To my surprise, alternating between 4/4 and 3/4 not only became natural but served as a foundational element of the composition. The continuous motion of the A section melody led naturally to a more sustained melody in the B section. For the improvisational section, the solution to navigating the alternating time signatures was to compose a dedicated set of changes specifically for that passage.
