Notebook, Bedside (2004, rev. 2012)
For Soprano, Piano and Percussion, 16 minutes.
translated text by Tojun, Bufu, and Toko with text fragments by the composer

This piece was written in 2003/04 in New York City and Redondo Beach. Premiere took place on March 25, 2004 in New York City at the first concert of Either/Or, by Jennifer Cobb-soprano, David Shively-percussion, and Richard Carrick-piano.

Revised version was made April and June 2011 for SoundSCAPE: Tony Arnold-soprano, Aiyun Huang-percussion, and Thomas Rosenkranz-piano, premiered in Baltimore on April 12, 2012.

Commercial recording available on "Inflorescence: Music from soundSCAPE" on New Focus Recordings, 2013.

Score published by and available from PSNY

Program Note:

I kept a notebook in the hospital room during the last three days of my father's life. A year and a half later I returned to this notebook. Apart from many sentences with incomplete thoughts, there were a number of single words scattered throughout the pages. Some of these single words are used in this piece.

There is a Japanese tradition of poets writing a final poem while on their deathbed; a tradition so important that some poets prepare their final poem months in advance. “The fierce last stand” of their artistic essence, to quote another poet used in this piece.

Tojun, Toko, and Bufu haiku's are used in their entirety. “Well, I Wonder,” and “Asleep” by The Smiths, Paul Celan, Miland Kundera, and the jazz standard “Just Friends” are briefly quoted or musically referenced.

This piece is lovingly dedicated to the memory of my father Richard John Carrick (1940-2001).