Opening Theme

Song story & origins

Introduction

I devote a fair share of my work to purely instrumental music—roughly a third of my catalog—and I’ve been fortunate to score several documentary films alongside making a number of all-instrumental albums. This chapter gathers three such pieces, each with its own path: the opening theme from a 2011 Crazy Horse documentary, an early multi-track guitar exploration titled “Eight Pound Test” from 2001, and a field-recorded acoustic improvisation, “Almost Lost,” from 2017. Together they trace how instruments alone can carry story and feeling—no lyrics required.

Years earlier—1990–91—my wife and I spent time in New Mexico while I was directing a summer camp, and I fell in love with the wooden flute tradition I heard in Santa Fe. I bought my first flute there. Decades later, when I was invited to help with music for a documentary on the life of Crazy Horse (Tashunke Witko), I was thrilled to honor that influence. I worked with the media team where I was based; we recorded interviews with descendants and family members and shaped an educational film in 2011.

It mattered to be clear about what I was doing and not doing. I am not a Native American artist; I’m a musician playing wooden flute in a style influenced by music I love and respect. I wanted to steer well clear of appropriation and let the piece serve the film—flute forward, with acoustic guitar arriving later—while keeping my own identity and limits transparent. The result is a spare, reverent opening theme built to breathe with the visuals and testimonies of that story.

Why these three stay with me

Each of these instrumentals taught me something craft can’t teach alone. The opening theme reminded me to play with integrity and respect inside someone else’s story. “Eight Pound Test” taught me how layering and patience can turn small figures into a living landscape. “Almost Lost” taught me to listen again before I let something go. No lyrics, and still the instruments say exactly what needed saying.

Source: New Music Memoir (1).docx