Colin is a performer who composes, and from the start his writing was an excuse to have something new to play. A self-confessed lover of minimalism, he was inspired to start composing after discovering the works of Michael Nyman, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass. His early pieces were performed with friends in the composer-led chamber group Ensemble Symposium, modelled loosely after the Bang on a Can All-Stars. Further studies led him to non-Western musical sources including rhythms from Latin America and South India, and the percussion orchestras of the Balinese gamelan. Much of his output focuses on chamber music for saxophone, including solos, quartets, and mixed ensembles. Later works include commissions for percussion ensemble, piano, chamber orchestra, and spatial installations. Years spent performing in the Balinese gamelan Gong Gita Asmara resulted in a number of original works and collaboration for the Indonesian gong orchestra.