This piece started while trying to noodle around to come up with a new idea. I stumbled on the first arpeggio on the Yamaha Reface DX. I suppose it was just my comfort zone – I started a sequence for this idea on the Roland FA-06 and thought the arpeggio snippet sounded nice with the particular patch (keyboard preset) which combined a digital electric piano, synth and vibes in stereo split depending on the velocity I pressed on the keys.

More or less it’s just two different sections – A and B – and I played a different solo in different repetitions. There is a predominant influence of the pentatonic scale. I later added a guitar to the keyboard sequence I created. I think the keyboard patch that I found for the dropout sections (where many instruments cut out) sounds very similar to the keyboard used on the first part of Queen’s song, “I’m Going Slightly Mad.” That coincidence aside, I think I unconsciously took inspiration from the new age / jazz fusion group Shadowfax on this piece – particularly their syncopated number “Shadowdance” – “Parowan Gap” shares some features but is definitely its own song/composition.

I like the symbol of the sun communing with the earth, approximately the significance of the Native American sacred site which is the namesake of this composition. In certain times of the year, the sun slides down the side of the gap (two massive sandstone structures that form a “V” shape as they get broader at their base) in evening before the sun melts into the narrow gap base. Additionally the site contains ancient pictorial writings (petroglyphs) in a high concentration.

If by some chance a documentary is made seeking music for said project, I would be happy to render a more contemplative, minimal variation of “Parowan Gap” to better fit its significance as a sacred site.

Stats: Sequenced on the Roland FA-06. Exported to Studio One Version 4 software (DAW). Fender Stratocaster guitar added via DAW. Recorded and written September, 2026. Mixed and mastered September – October, 2026.