[wAGON sTUDIES]

History + MUSIC

PROGRESS TRACKER:

Last Updated July 4, 2026

The Wagon Studies

The Wagon Studies is a large scale chamber music project that I began in February of 2026. The studies follow the late Sager family as they navigated through the Oregon Trail in 1844.

The goal of the Wagon Studies is to encapsulate the deep tragedies faced by the Sager family and their offspring while offering tonal, meaningful music.

The Wagon Studies will consist of 9 movements, each highlighting a different stop on the wagon trail, with some capturing the tragedies the family endured.

As of now, the instrumentation is Violin (2), Viola, Cello, Bass, Piano, Classical Guitar. The addition of percussion/harp is being considered.

Progress

I-Prelude | Writing draft

II-Manifest Destiny | Completed draft

III-The Platte River | Finalizing

IV-Camp Fever | Finalizing

V- Fort Bridger | Completed draft

VI-Idaho Falls | Completed draft

VII-Whitman's Mission | Completed draft

VIII-The Whitman Massacre | Writing draft

IX-The Willamette Valley | Not yet started

Scraps

I began this project with the intention of writing idomatic repertoire for the classical guitar. The classical guitar is a notoriously challenging isntrument to write for; this has led to a ridiculous amount of scraps that turned out to be completely unrealistic.

I believe that the journey of large scale projects like this is one of the most interesting parts of composing; I have shared all of the scraps from the Wagon Studies here.

(As of June of 2026, There have been 27 scrapped movements)

First ever Wagon Study (written as a joke at first)

Second wagon study. Written after heavy feedback from wagon study one

Third wagon study. Written after the first two were called boring

An intended second movement of the wagon studies. (written in the second batch of scraps)

An intended second movement of the wagon studies. (written in the third batch of scraps)

*This is the first time I wrote the theme for the studies*

Musical inspiration

The following is an ever-growing list of inspirations I have used to compose The Wagon Studies.

Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite (1919) | Finale

Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite (1919) | Khorovod

Copland: Appalachian Spring

Copland: Rodeo | Hoe-Down

Tchaicovsky: 1812 Overture

Grainger: Lincolnshire Posy | Horkstow Grange

Prokofiev: Scythian Suite | Invocation to Vales and Ala

Prokofiev: Scythian Suite | The Evil God and the Dance of The Pagan Monsters

Prokofiev: Scythian Suite | Night

Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8

Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez | Allegro con spirito

Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez | Adagio

Rodrigo: Fantasia para un gentilhombre | Canario

Rodrigo: Fantasia para un gentilhombre | Espanoleta y Fanfare...

Rodrigo: Toccata

Giuliani: Guitar Concerto No. 3 | Polonaise

Tedesco: Concerto No. 1 | Ritmico e cavalleresco

Walton: Five Bagatelles for Guitar and Orchestra | Presto con slancio

Sarah Jarosz: Ring Them Bells

Schmigadoon!: Corn Puddin'

Brahms: Clarinet Quintet

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