Sonata for Trumpet and Trombone (2006) was written for and is dedicated to Colby Cooman and Emily Baker.

The work explores aspects of coordination and interplay—often with the instruments proceeding down their own flexibly aligned pathways. The piece thus requires a large amount of aural listening and play, which is less common in the brass chamber literature.

In the first movement, Intradas, both instruments circle around the basic musical material through a series of dramatic “fanfare-like” gestures.

The second movement, Motet, is cast as a neo-Renaissance rhythmic style (though the harmonies are derived from the first movement). Both instruments present contrapuntal elaborations of the basic ideas.

The third movement, Cadenzas, consists of dramatic gestures for each instrument alone, based on the previous two movements. The gestures dovetail flexibly into each other.

The final movement, Flight, is an “attempt” at a vibrant conclusion. Both instruments start together with whirling figurations. They try various times to begin again or to start other ideas, but each time, they fall out of alignment as the pulses speed up and slow down. Finally, the music just stops.