Nealíka is a piece for four performers in four movements. The title is inspired by the visual folk art of the Huichol community, an indigenous people from Mexico. “Nealíka” is what they name their visual art. This art’s colorful, ornamental, and quasi-symmetrical nature inspired musical analogs in my piece.

The first movement is an energetic exploration of instrumental color where the resonances of the piano and percussion are emphasized and altered by the flute and violoncello. The second movement is in a three-part form; each section is comprised of identical written pitches and rhythms which are played with different articulations that produce immensely dissimilar sonic results. The third movement is the shortest and consists of the alternation between a quick and nervous texture and crystalline sustained tones. The fourth movement takes ornamental elements from the first movement and develops them into something new and final.

The piece was written in 2010 for eight blackbird which is playing in this recording.