The passing of Tom Johnson

Tom Johnson was one of the people who shaped my younger development as an artist. I was in Montevideo staying with my wife’s family when I heard of his passing. The next day, I lay in bed with a guitar distractedly improvising on fragments from his music (Rational Melody No. 10), and this piece took shape. The day was cloudy but as evening approached through the window an open patch of sky became visible. This is the first non-microtonal piece I’ve written in maybe 15 years, which is appropriate enough, since Tom Johnson was repelled by microtonality. The piece is written for solo guitar, with optional incorporation of quiet keyboard and shortwave radio sounds.