Adam Hopkins-bass. Photo by Heather Van De Mark.

Composed by Adam Hopkins, "The Zero In the Car" is part of an album length composition set titled "The Numbers In the Car." "The Numbers in the Car" (work still in progress) focuses on the idea of a more systematic approach to composition, both tonally and rhythmically. Each piece in the set uses a new tonal or rhythmic concept as the central idea in the composition, and evolves from that concept. This excerpt is taken from a live performance with the improvised introduction edited out for time.

Once a year in December this trio puts together a holiday performance where we re-arrange our favorite, and maybe not so favorite holiday songs for sax/bass/drums trio. This is my re-arrangement of Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker.

Composed by Hopkins, this is a ballad written for trio in a fairly traditional format. The very simple four-note bassline lays the foundation for a lullaby-like melody in the tenor. After the bridge in 3/4 over a bass pedal the original melody returns transposed to a new key. A typical performance would have tenor and bass solos, but this clip has been edited for time.

Adam Hopkins-bass. Photo by Heather Van De Mark.

32'x 30'x 30' (not counting the tree), wood This was one of a group of installations I did in the early 90's using twenty eight 28' to 32' locust tree poles off of my land. These poles were used in each installation. In making the piece, I worked with the Park Service to assure them that the 1 year installation would not harm the 150 year old southern red oak. A good friend and I spent a day climbing and hoisting the poles into the tree. We spent hours arranging and weaving the poles into position. For this work it was important to me that only gravity and the interlocking tension kept the piece in place. It surprised me how these poles created a separate space once you crossed inside the poles. This was a celebration of this tree and all trees throughout world.

wood & copper, 7'x 4'x 4'

wood, 7' x 3' x 1' These are 3 young ash trees Y turned upside down, then stacked one on top of the other with smallest at the bottom supporting the other two larger pieces. Carrying them through life.

wood, 6'x4'x6'

5"x 2'x 2' , wood This is the first of the chiseled cedar tree groupings. This was a winter piece. A time when we pull in to reflect and prepare for the coming season.

wood (cedar) & steel 4' x 28" x 28" I chiseled down to the heartwood on many snow fallen cedar tree stopping to create a form running through the forest of heartwood.

wood (cedar) & steel 4' x 28" x 28" I chiseled down to the heartwood on many snow fallen cedar trees stopping to create a gentle curve running through the forest of heartwood. This is one of the many pieces I've created over the years where I'm searching for a way to create a 500 year old tree, which of course cannot be done. That's the point. We may be able to do many new and amazing things, but if we screw up the environment will there be more healthy 500 year old trees for future generations to marvel at?

7'x 2'x 4', wood This is another in the chiseled cedars series. I had just started working on this piece on September 11th. 2001. The chiseling did help me through that and the following days. The events of that day caused so many thoughts and ideas that eventually I set this piece aside to work on other new projects, but this piece was always in my consciousness. Over ten years, as different cedar trees found their way into my possession (heavy snows are good for that), I slowly worked this sculpture into completion.

6'x 9'x 3', wood & old steel shovel heads This is another piece from the "Digging Our Own Graves" series. In this evolution I've created an old tool hanger for 3 of the shovels. An old slab of the outer piece of a milled cherry tree from my childhood home is used as the main support. Then I mounted into this 3 small Y-shaped limbs for the shovel trees to hang from. It has become an old habit to not think about how certain actions are hurting our environment.