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Based on comparative lessons from other transitions from communism, the process of reform in Leninist societies may be divided into two main stages: the onset of reform; the sustaining and deepening of the reform process. The first stage may be marked initially by "tinkering type measures that do not alter significantly the power of the party and the state, but which may be followed by deeper structural reforms that begin to change the political and economic character of the system. Once the initial stage is passed without triggering a popular revolution, then the reforms need to be sustained and deepened. As they become more structural in nature, they may lead toward a complete transition away from command economy and monopoly on political power--the twin pillars of Leninist communist regimes, upheld by actual or threatened repression. However, what is important is the movement and direction of the reform process; the end point may not necessarily be some kind of a replica of a Western democratic system.

The idea for the Violin Concerto for String Quartet came to me after having written two string quartets. It occurred to me that it would be interesting to write a quartet where the first violin is the soloist and the other players provide support and dialogue for the soloist. I had in mind the concerto piano scores which are used in settings where a full orchestra is not available or practical for one reason or another. I think if a series of concertos written for small ensembles existed, it would be a good way to bring exciting music to people in places where a symphony orchestra is never seen or heard. The Concerto is in three movements: Allegro with a tonal center of D dorian, Largo centered in A aeolian, and Moderato centering on D lydian, A major, and F# minor.

When the end of the Castro era arrives, the government that succeeds Fidel Castro and the Cuban people will need answers to certain questions: How is Castro's four-decade-plus rule likely to affect a post-Castro Cuba? What are the political, social, and economic challenges Cuba will confront? What are the impediments to be surmounted if Cuba is to develop economically and embark on a democratic transition? The five appendices in this report constitute a companion volume to the RAND Corporation report Cuba After Castro: Legacies, Challenges, and Impediments (MG-111-RC, 2004).

"This report presents the main findings of [Castro, Cuba, and the World], R-3420, which provides a new profile of Fidel Castro's mindset and behavior as a political actor, and assesses Cuba's current domestic and international situations, in order to analyze Castro's future foreign policy options."--Rand abstracts.

Tai Chi 24 Forms is written for a standard symphony orchestra. The composition is meant as a kind of homage to Tai Chi in gratitude for what the practice has given to me. Some of the pieces that make up the composition are meant to evoke the Tai Chi movements or to allude to the name of the form while others are totally abstract and are meant simply as a thank you