My Breakup Etude for Right Hand Alone pours out my own aching soul in the form of a masochistically difficult piece written for my right hand alone when my left hand was stuck in a splint. The ending of a relationship, a minor left hand injury, and pandemic isolation in 2020 made me feel that many aspects of my life, including my hands, were breaking up. In my despair, I searched for right-handed pieces to learn only to discover that there were very few. To pass the time as my left hand healed, I wrote myself an insanely difficult etude for my right hand alone. I regret that now. The work requires extreme virtuosity, with passages that scamper around the entire range of the keyboard at breakneck speed. There are also a few surprises along the way. Breakup Etude for the Right Hand Alone reflects my inner state, from loss and nostalgia to personal growth and discovery. It is dedicated to myself.

- Michael Stephen Brown (2021)