Songs of the Wind is a five-movement composition for reader, chamber choir, and chamber orchestra. The work is approximately twenty-five minutes in duration. The title describes the programmatic nature of the piece, which depicts an animistic ritual invoking the wind as a deity. The texts are drawn from translations of American Indian poetry as well as original poems by the American Indian scholar Hartley Alexander.

The Squirrel Cage is an intermedia composition set in three scenes and two interludes. The composition is based on the short story "The Squirrel Cage" by Thomas M. Disch. Robin Kay Willoughby created the libretto for the composition. The drama for The Squirrel Cage focuses on the actor who is being held captive in a white, padded cell. He does not know how long he has been in the cell or even why he is being held. His only source of stimulation is through the broadcast of National Public Radio that he hears in his cell. The only way he can attempt to communicate with the outside world is through the microphone in his cell, though he never knows if anyone hears his pleas for help. The music is constant expression of his environment and friendly responds directly to the performer's gestures. This volume contains the dissertation text.