[1][2] He also spent a year at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he studied with David Felder and attended seminars given by Brian Ferneyhough, Louis Andriessen, and Donald Erb.

[14] Lemay is an atonal composer who has been influenced by the spectral techniques of Tristan Murail and Gérard Grisey, the modal approaches of Olivier Messiaen and Iannis Xenakis, and the rhythmic modulation of Elliott Carter.

[2][4] The treatment of the concert setting — including stage layout, spatialization, gesture, and comportment and presence of the performer — is another stylistic concern, which was also the subject of Lemay's thesis and other writings.

[15][16][17][4] The employment of extended instrumental techniques has been analyzed in-depth in two of Lemay's solo pieces, Ariana, Kaboul (alto saxophone) and Clap (clarinet).

[17][18] Lemay has also written pieces for students including 6 Ushebtis (piano),[19] Train miniature (clarinet), and Beat the Drum (alto saxophone).