Before I switched to composition, I worked as an analytical microbiologist for 16+ years in the Biopharma industry. [Micro/Industrious] for orchestra (2015, rev. 2017) is dedicated to my friend and colleague, Josephson De Guzman, who assumed my duties at my former place of laboratory work while I was away on sabbatical.
At the heart of this character piece is the folk melody, "Anak na Baley," from Pangasinan province, Ilocos Region, Philippines, Joe’s birthplace and childhood home. "Anak na Baley" is an occupational folksong about hardworking children of modest means who labor tirelessly in the fields, cultivating many different types of vegetables despite the hardship in spending whole days under the severe heat of the Philippine sun, along with the unpredictability of torrential rainstorms. [Micro/Industrious] for orchestra was selected as a Finalist for the 2016-2017 Redlands Community Orchestra Composition Project.
