This flute solo (which also works on violin) is inspired by the three B's: Bach, Boogie, and Balkan Folk! It's a fun piece that will win crowds over at recitals and performances. 3 pages, 4 minutes long.

I pictured it as a story of a mermaid. After a haunting intro ("The siren on the rocks"), it goes into a lively Bach-like section ("A joyful swim"), which then syncopates into a rock/boogie groove ("Playfully leaping out of the water"). The slow section reappears ("Catching her breath") and gives way back to the syncopated part ("The frolics resume"). Inspired by the Raif Hyseni and Marita Halili's Balkan ensemble at Montclair university, the final large section is "A wild dance among the waves" inspired by the uneven meters of Albanian folk music. The piece ends as it began ("Returning to the rocks for a rest").

The main challenges are rhythmic - syncopated rock rhythms and mixed-meter rhythms inspired by Albanian folk music (measures with beat groupings like 2+3+2+2. It's a great piece for working on your rhythm skills!

Otherwise I've avoided the constant leaps, piercing high notes, and extended techniques of much "modern classical" - it's meant to be fun to play and accessible to listeners.

You can hear a performance here: https://youtu.be/pWUsZGTfVcY?si=Hku4sWmW9emNwaPX or https://mattschwarz.bandcamp.com/track/mermaid-song