cummings, prompted by the death of a friend — which he debuted with the Kansas City Symphony on April 28, 1998, to an enthusiastic audience and press.
The composition, Walt Whitman's Dream, premiered in July 2000, and celebrated the new millennium with a combined chorus of nearly 800 singers from around the world, accompanied by orchestra.
"[8] Some of his work incorporates or references elements of jazz — for instance Bela's Bounce, an homage to Béla Bartók and Charlie Parker.
[8][9] McGlaughlin characterizes his creative process as both studied and extemporaneous, experimenting with various methods to elicit the elusive "moment of inspiration."
McGlaughlin's advice to young composers is never to shrug off an idea, even if at first it seems insignificant or similar to an existing work: "Write it down and throw it out later if you have to, but don't avoid the impulse.