Wind Band

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Magnolia Star - Done! (Almost)

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Today I'm putting the final edits on (all 38 pages! of) Magnolia Star, a new 6 minute work for wind ensemble. I will be posting more about the piece soon - what inspired it, an audio clip, etc.  For now I just wanted to share a bit about the editing process I have been doing this past week.  The bulk of the music was finished a couple of weeks ago, but there were still a few holes and spots I wasn't satisfied with.  So over the past couple of weeks I have been focusing on those spots and also looking at every element of the piece and asking myself, "Is this what I want here?"  And, "is this the best I can do, or is there anything else I can do to make this better?"

Now I have resolved most of those issues and have a fairly final score sitting in front of me on my desk.  I have also gone through each page zoomed in at 200% to make sure all the dynamics are aligned and no markings are colliding on the page.  I also made sure all the trumpet muting spots were marked, and that all the percussion instruments are marked appropriately.  Really, the piece is done.

But this is one of the points I always struggle with - as a composer, how do we really know when the work is done?  How do we know that we have created the work we intended, and that there is nothing left to improve upon? Or maybe that's not the point - surely there is something that can be improved upon.  But that's ok? We aren't striving for a "perfect" work, right?  That's probably a whole separate debate. I think of a painter - when they step back from a painting, put on a few more brush strokes, then a couple more, and then they are done.  Wait - how did they decide that they didn't need to add a few more strokes, or change something?

I think often times it is a mixture of things:

  • part letting go after obsessing in a detailed way over the work;
  • part "feeling" that the work is done, and;
  • part believing in the many decisions you have made throughout the course of creating the work.

Composers and other types of creators constantly question ourselves throughout the creative process - which is important and necessary.  But at some point, we have to lay down the pen and decide that the work is done.

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Idea for a New Piece

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Sometimes I just improvise at the piano to come up with ideas that might turn into something.  Occasionally an idea sticks around, comes back to me several days later, and I'm not sure why (at the time).  But often times, ideas like that are the seeds for a new work.  This happened a few days ago - I came up with a simple little chord progression that sounded nice, but disregarded it and went back to work on something else. I didn't even write it down.  Then on Wednesday I was sitting at the piano and I found myself fiddling with this chord progression again. Now the ideas have been in my head almost non-stop for the past few days.  Even though it is in some ways distracting from a piece I'm trying to finish (Magnolia Star for wind ensemble), it's always exciting when this sort of inspiration happens, and I don't mind the distraction one bit. I think the ideas will work great for both an SATB choral piece and possibly a wind band transcription.  The essence of the idea is an 8 bar harmonic progression  in 3/4 time that would be repeated, each time adding a new layer of counterpoint, or a new voice, etc.  It will definitely start as a choral work, and I'm thinking the text might just be "Alleluia."  The idea reminds me in some ways of Mozart's Dona Nobis Pacem canon, which has a special place in my heart because it is sung community-sing style at the conclusion of the Eastman Holiday Sing each year in December.   Here is the 2010 performance directed by the great Mark Scatterday (even though you can't see him in the video):

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Goodnight, Goodnight for Band at Henderson State - April 18

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I'm happy to announce that on April 18th, Steve Knight will conduct the Henderson State University Symphony Band in a performance of Goodnight, Goodnight. Here are more details: Henderson State University Symphony Band Performance When: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 7:30 PM Where: Arkansas Hall Auditorium Webpage: here

Thank you to Steve Knight and Dr. Jesse Leyva for their support of my music, and best wishes for a great performance!

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Lauda Performance Tomorrow at Troy University

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Dr. Mark Walker, Director of Bands at Troy University in Troy, Alabama leads a performance tomorrow, March 6, of Lauda.  Lauda was also recently performed by Gary Green and the University of Miami Wind Ensemble on February 27, and the Bethel College Wind Ensemble at KMEA on February 23rd.  Best wishes to the Troy University Symphony Band for a great performance tomorrow!

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We're Not in Kansas Anymore!

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Couldn't resist that title.  Anyway, yes, I am back home after a wonderful trip to KMEA in Wichita, KS.  I flew in Thursday and just barely missed the Bethel College Wind Ensemble's performance of Lauda! Ahhrrrrg!  However, everyone I talked to raved about the Bethel Wind Ensemble, so I'm very happy for them and congratulate them on what sounds like a fantastic performance.  My hat goes off to my good friend Timothy Shade who not only conducted that fine ensemble, but also played euphonium, trombone, and ran 2 clinics at the conference!  He is an inspiring musician, full of love and passion for music, and I really enjoy working with him.  I also had a great time visiting with Tim's wife Gabby, Adrian Sandi (1st clarinet in the Wichita Symphony and a friend from ESM) and composer Derek Jenkins. Derek, Tim, and I presented a clinic Friday morning on composing and commissioning, and here is a link to a handout I put together on the subject.

It was also great to meet new friends and colleagues and I look forward to some exciting new projects in the future.  Hopefully I will be back to KMEA soon!

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Goodnight, Goodnight for Band at CA All-State Reading Session!

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I'm excited to announce that Goodnight, Goodnight for Band will be included in the "Directors Reading Band" session at the California All-State Music Education Conference on February 18th!  Dr. Jesse Leyva will be conducting the session, which is being sponsored by JW Pepper.  For the complete schedule of the Conference, click here.

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Groove Music

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I'm currently working on a new piece for saxophone quartet and flute ensemble, a commission from the University of Central Florida. Indeed, you say, what a unique combination of instruments! It's an exciting challenge to create music for this interesting instrumentation.  I've chosen to expand upon a movement of my 4-movement "Nocturnes" for solo piano.

As I started to think about material for saxophone quartet and flute ensemble, I realized that the music from the fourth movement of Nocturnes would score really well for this instrumentation.  And, I have been wanting to expand on the "groove" section in the middle of the piece for some time.  In this new iteration, the opening half of the movement (the slow part) will remain relatively the same, but the fast section will be greatly expanded and the work will end fast, not returning to the slower music like the piano version.  I love driving and rhythmic music, and I'm enjoying working on this section.

The groove made me think of Michael Tilson Thomas, one of my favorite conductors to watch.  He is always so engaged in the music, always grooving, and always having so much fun.  I love it.  I hope my fast, grooving music is as much fun as MTT and Tchaikovsky in this great HD video from the San Francisco Symphony:

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New Year :: New Music

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In my last post I did a quick recap of 2011, and today I want to touch on my compositional plans for 2012.  I have a bunch of other goals and plans, but for this post I want to focus on pieces I plan (and hope!) to write this year: Nocturne IV - Flute & Saxophone Ensemble Commissioned by the University of Central Florida Flute & Saxophone Ensemble

Magnolia Star - Wind Ensemble A short and energetic piece for wind ensemble based on trains and the blues scale. What could be better!

Keep Me Fully Glad - SATB Choir (?? not sure of exact instrumentation yet) A setting of a beautiful Rabindranath Tagore poem - read more here.

Untitled - Wind Ensemble & Screen A 15 minute work for wind ensemble and film, inspired by the photography of Ansel Adams.  Click here to see a video about the project. Commissioned by a consortium of wind ensembles.  You can join! Contact me here.

Shout! - SATB Choir (?? not sure of exact instrumentation yet) A fun and rousing song with powerful text by one of my favorite poets - my wife!

Morning Hymn - SATB & Piano A setting of the beautiful text (see here) by Charles Wesley

There you have it - my compositions for 2012.  Of course, there will probably be other projects that sneak in here as well.  And, if you/your ensemble wants to commission a piece this year, there is still room!  I can always fit in special projects, but the sooner we start planning, the better!

Best wishes for an exciting 2012!

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Say Hi to the Midwest Clinic for Me!

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This week is the fantastic Midwest Clinic in Chicago - the largest gathering of wind and orchestra conductors, composers, ensembles, etc.   Unfortunately I won't be there, and I'm sure I will be missing some great performances, talks, colleagues, and friends!  I plan to be there next year, and who knows... if I'm lucky enough maybe I will have a piece performed! In honor of Midwest week, I'm posting this video from the 2009 Midwest Clinic featuring the one-and-only Eastman Wind Ensemble performing Mark Scatterday's transcription of Tumbao from Roberto Sierra's Symphony No. 3. Enjoy!