12 and Change turned out quite closely as I had originally planned. I had intended to have the piece based on the blues and that’s exactly what it is. I have taken the 12 bar blues form and altered it to fit into a polytonal setting, incorporating all 12 keys, and also the piece is just over 12 minutes in length. So the title is really a three-way pun, which was my intention. Having been successful in being awarded the creative funding, Symphony Nova Scotia (SNS) programmed the 12 and Change, March 29, 2019 in the first half of their SNS show with Ashley MacIsaac.

As a result of many tickets sold, SNS has decided to present 3 concerts of this program. This was great news for me as I had 3 times to perform it. This has been a very interesting approach to composition for me as I was challenged to write music for myself. Electric blues guitar is a style of music that has posed a challenge for me to write out. I worked out a system of creation that allowed me to capture the spontaneity of playing blues electric guitar and work that into the discipline of the orchestral situation. Plus by opening up the tonality to all the 12 keys this allowed the pentatonic scales found in the blues to be easily inserted into a polytonal sound. This project has bridged the gap from my beginnings as a musician to the knowledge I now have as a seasoned performer, arranger and composer.