21st Century: Neoclassical (2006). American composer. Velocity was inspired by the "Mannheim Rocket," a popular compositional technique in the mid-18th century that uses propulsive, wide-ranging arpeggios to heighten the excitement of a work. With the goal of helping to propel virtuosic flute writing into a new century, I wanted to suggest a contemporary treatment of this quirky, fun technique. To this end, my work is made up almost entirely of broken triads and arpeggios, often superimposed between the flute and piano parts, creating bi-tonal clashes. -the composer