WSW: When did you start composing?
DJ: I attempted composition when I was 14 years old. I was challenged by my band director to take a piano piece and arrange it for saxophones. While I enjoyed the task, I felt confined and limited, and as a result I decided I try to write my own original piece.

WSW: What has been your biggest challenge in composing?
DJ: I have a difficult time getting outside of my own head. I tend to fuss over and dwell on the minutest details far longer than I should.

WSW: Do you play an instrument or sing?
DJ: I originally entered college as a double major in composition and bassoon performance. I quickly discovered that I preferred composing to practicing and chose to drop the second major. I do miss playing though. Apart from bassoon, I have played piano, saxophone, clarinet, and euphonium in various ensembles.

WSW: What do you do in your free time?
DJ: In my free time, I am an amateur scuba diver, a space enthusiast, and a bit of a bookworm. I love all things space related, and much of my reading material reflects that fact. I enjoy reading everything from (introductory) quantum physics and string theory to the astronauts’ memoirs. I do indulge myself with the occasional classic fiction or sci-fi novel.

WSW: What was your objective when you composed Quintet for Winds No. 1?
DJ: I love wind instruments. I love writing for wind ensembles and wind chamber groups alike. Despite this, the woodwind quintet terrifies me. At a summer festival in 2011, the resident ensemble, Chicago-based Fifth House Ensemble, challenged me to write a woodwind quintet, and so I did. I approached my quintet as an experiment, a chance to ask “what if…?” I forced myself to experiment with different ideas and concepts that I hadn’t explored previously in my own work.