Rock Candy

“Rock Candy” is a sugary work that is intended to be fun to perform and fun to listen to. Rock candy is basically sugar showing off. It's like regular sugar took a gap year, traveled the world, and came back all crystallized and fancy. It's the edible bling of the candy world—big, chunky, and unapologetically flashy. If sugar cubes are the humble nerds of sweetness, rock candy is the diva that demands attention, sparkling on sticks and saying, "I didn’t choose the crystal life, the crystal life chose me." Musically, the three guitars engage in dialogue throughout the piece, sharing the melody and exchanging musical ideas in the style of an instrumental rock ballad.

Ben Lahring (b. 1986) is an Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the Canadian League of Composers. Additionally, he is the classical guitar instructor at Ambrose University. From his formative years spent in tropical northern Australia to a globe-spanning music career, Lahring has always been bold in his musical explorations. As a performer-composer, his album Driftwood was reviewed to high acclaim as "a work of originality and shimmering beauty" (Vivascene) and “one of the most singularly beautiful guitar recitals” (Fanfare Magazine). Lahring counts among his composition teachers Dr. Heva Chan in Sydney, Australia, and Drs. Laurie Radford and Allan Bell in Calgary, Canada.