Symphony No. 3 "JFK" was commissioned by the Roxbury High School Wind Symphony of Succasunna, New Jersey, Darryl Bott, director, and premiered by that ensemble on May 25, 2000. The work is in four movements that are played without pause. The setting for the piece is John F. Kennedy's funeral procession. Each movement of the symphony serves as a flashback into some part of Kennedy's life, but always followed by a return to the reality of the procession and its omnipresent parade drum. The pitch material for the work is based on two sources. The first is a twelve-tone row that is initially introduced by a solo violin, acting as a sort of "narrator" and returning at several key points throughout the work. The second source of pitch material is the Navy Hymn, Eternal Father, Strong to Save.

The first movement, P.T. 109, depicts the events during World War II in which Kennedy proved himself a war hero. His boat was sunk in the Pacific Ocean and he and his crew spent three days trapped on an island before their eventual rescue. Kennedy's heroic actions during the incident greatly enhanced his reputation.

The second movement, Ask Not What Your Country..., reflects the youthful optimism of Kennedy's famous inaugural speech.

The third movement, November 22, 1963, depicts the day of his assassination. After an initial crescendo, the music stops, entering an almost "frame-by-frame" mode until reaching the three fateful shots, which are marked by three percussion entrances (musically related to the opening parade drum motive).

The final movement, John, Jr., depicts what is certainly one of the most striking and moving images ever recorded on film. This is the picture of Kennedy's son saluting the funeral procession as it slowly passes. The inclusion of the boy soprano and the words from the Navy Hymn reflect in many ways upon Kennedy's life and death and his continuing effect upon our country. There is both a sense of great emptiness to this moment and a sense of hope for a better world ahead.