Cooper Lake is a beautiful spot in Woodstock, NY, where I frequently walk with friends. Originally written and recorded on a steel string guitar, the stunning vistas of the Catskill Mountains inspired this meditative reflection.

Had I set out to write a new composition, I would never have chosen the Neo-Romantic musical language of Romantic Etude. But as the composition emerged from an improvisation, I allowed the music to flow, and it was happily captured in my home studio.

In retrospect,...