Mnicakmun: Sounds Of Water for flute and piano

William Linthicum-Blackhorse: Mnicakmun: Sounds Of Water for flute and piano was written in 2017, as part of the project for the composer's composition studio class at Texas Tech University.
The piece reflects the composer's identity as a Lakota Channúnpa Yuhá (pipe-carrier) and his commitment to traditional spirituality. He initially wrote the first movement without classical triadic harmony, later realizing the melodies were reminiscent of the Lakota Sioux native flute.
The work is described as a "beautiful representation of the different emotions a person experiences in life". It transitions from a strict, non-triadic harmonic structure in the first movement to a more fluid, rule-breaking style that mirrors the unpredictable nature of water and human feeling.
The title Mnicakmun (pronounced "mnee-chah-kmoon") is the Lakota word for the sound water makes when moving over a rocky surface. The movement titles are also in Lakota:
1. Mnicásniyanyanla (Rippling Water)
2. Mnicáluza (Rapid Water)
3. Mnióhuta (The Shore)
The work is dedicated to the composer's Lakota relatives.
At the time of the piece's initial development, Linthicum-Blackhorse was a graduate student at Texas Tech University, where he earned his Master's degree in 2016 and his Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in 2019.

"The title was a last-minute realization that I had written the piece with the Lakota Sioux native flute in mind, so I found it suiting to name the piece and its movements in the Lakota language. The word Mnicakmun is both the description and terminology for the sound that water makes when moving over a rocky surface."
William Linthicum-Blackhorse