The Valley (2018) a percussion ensemble work for five players accompanied by digital loop station, is an atmospheric experience that depicts a night in the woods of Western Massachusetts. The music follows visual artwork and a short story as narrative inspiration; each sound is meant to represent either physical events taking place in the woods such as owl hunts and thunderstorms, or abstract concepts that are less tangible like darkness, echoes and sunlight. I have chosen to leave the score unmetered because while every listener has their own rhythmic experience with nature, the crickets and other individual creatures that seem to be participating in an ecosystem-wide symphony are simply focusing on their own survival/existence. We are so lucky, as sentient beings, to be able to consider the majesty of nature as a whole. Players often do not fall in sync with each other during extended repeated sections. For example, Guiro and Sandpaper repeat phrases of 10” and 6” lengths simultaneously. These grooves do not line up and are meant to exist independently of one another, shifting the pulse on each repetition. The piece seamlessly transitions through two movements: I. By the Light and II. Screaming Trees.