Recently, engineers at Harvard University sprouted “nanogardens” by manipulating the environment surrounding a salt and silicon solution. This process produced magnificent microscopic flower-like structures on the surface of a penny. For me, images of the delicate sculptures evoked organic and fragile music with much filigree. In an effort to capture this imagery, I began the piece with a single three-note chord, which acted as the kernel that produced many motives later in the piece. From this starting point, I attempted (image courtesy of Wim Noorduin) to construct a form that would take time to crystallize, in that when the conditions were just right, musical motives would burgeon forth from all directions.