“Squeeze box” is a slang term for the Accordion, an instrument I adore and play poorly. The image of expanding and contracting bellows haunted me as I composed Squeeze box for symphony orchestra. Rather than simulating the sound of the accordion’s vibrating reeds, my vision was to capture the physical experience of air changing its density. I imagined the orchestra as an organism breathing in and out, thorough harmony, texture, and timbre. The piece’s narrative arc is one big squeeze that culminates in an inevitable moment of hyperventilation, after which a new outlook materializes.