Just Finished! "Ancient Light" for the 2024 Oregon All-State Band

This week I finished “Ancient Light,” a new grade 4.5 piece commissioned by a consortium organized by the Oregon Band Directors Association. The piece will be premiered in January 2024 by the Oregon All-State Band, conducted by Jamie Nix.

The piece is inspired by the stunning photographs of deep space taken by the new James Webb Space Telescope. The Webb Telescope has the astounding ability to take photos of space as it appeared millions of years ago. Light that is truly ancient (hence the title of the piece) travels through space for millions of years to reach the Webb Telescope and it’s camera.

Musically, I tried to capture the speed and excitement of that light, and also the mysterious nature of deep space. I can’t wait to get the music in the hands of these outstanding young musicians! Preview the score and midi recording here.

In Progress: "Ancient Light" for the Oregon All-State Band

For me, the most fascinating aspect of the new James Webb Space Telescope is the fact that it can take pictures of deep space as it was MILLIONS(!) of years ago. It is able to see things that are incredibly distant - millions of light years away. It literally takes millions of years for light to travel to us from those depths of space. The sheer size of space is truly mind blowing!

“Ancient Light” is a new piece inspired by the Webb Telescope and this idea of light that is millions of years old, traveling to us and revealing something from distant space that is millions of years old.

This piece will be premiered in early 2024 by the Oregon All-State Band. Here’s a preview of a section I’ve been working on lately:

Interview on Go Solo

I was recently interviewed on the website Go Solo - check it out here! In the interview, I talk a bit about my background and my work as a self-published composer and small business owner. I also offer a few tips for others who are looking to create a small business in music.

Midwest 2022 Recap

As everyone who attended Midwest 2022 knows, it was one for the books! All the events on the final day of the conference (Thursday 12/22) were moved to Wednesday, as a winter storm was heading for Chicago and was arriving on Thursday. So, the Spring ISD Alumni Band’s performance, which was originally scheduled for Thursday morning at 8:30am, was moved to Wednesday evening at 7pm (well, first it was moved to 8pm, and then moved up at the last minute to 7pm!)

Even with these last minute changes, the Spring ISD Alumni band performed a remarkable concert to a very appreciative audience at Midwest. I was blown away to learn that this band was founded just over a year ago, and here they were performing at Midwest, arguably the most prestigious performance opportunity for a “community band.” Amazing. And their performance of “Lamentation for Euphonium and Wind Ensemble,” led by conductor Trent Cooper, was truly beautiful and moving. Irving Ray was able to be there to perform the solo part with the ensemble, and he gave an incredible performance. It was an honor to listen to Irving and the ensemble perform this piece.

In the rehearsal just hours before the performance, they played through the piece from start to finish and I got a little choked up when talking to the group. I was not prepared for the beauty and the sensitive musicianship that they brought to the piece, and after not hearing the piece live since early 2020, it really affected me.

It was also a special performance because Irving’s wife Annie was there to play harp on the piece. If that wasn’t enough, Brian Gibbs and Matthew McInturf from Sam Houston State University (who commissioned the piece) were there, and had been working with Trent and the ensemble on the piece. It really felt like a family and I’m so honored to be part of it.

It was also wonderful to see many friends and colleagues at the conference, having not seen many of them in several years! Our community is a special one, and I’m grateful to be part of it. Onward to 2023, and best wishes for a great year ahead!

New Consortium Opportunity: Le Voleur

Le Voleur
Grade 5 Wind Band
5'

This summer, while improvising ideas at the piano, I came up with a jazzy, dance-like harmonic progression that I've been developing into a new piece, Le Voleur (The Thief). The music has a secretive and exciting quality to it, which reminded me of the "gentleman burglar," Arsène Lupin. I learned about this French literary character earlier this year through the Netflix show Lupin. This summer I read several of the short stories by Maurice Leblanc, who created the character Arsène Lupin in 1905.

You can listen to a preview of the music in the video below. Set in a swing style, I think this will be a fun piece for all players.

The cost of the consortium is $300, which will include recognition in the score, PDF score and parts delivered by December 15, 2022, and exclusive rights to premiere performances throughout the Spring 2023 semester. To join the consortium, email me or complete the form on this page. If you have questions, feel free to reach out!

What I'm Working on This Summer

Greetings, friends! I hope you are enjoying your summer as much as I am! Along with some exciting woodworking projects, gardening, and visits with family and friends, I’m working on several compositions that I’m enjoying.

I’ve been writing a set of “Three Preludes for Piano,” each based on an inspiring place - Garrett Chapel in the Finger Lakes of NY, Rockingham Meeting House in the Green Mountains of VT, and Parrocchia San Martino in Ispra, Italy. I’m co-writing the preludes with my wife Ashley which is super fun.

I recently created a wind band transcription of my SSAA choral work “Our Light.” The band version is titled “Message of Light,” and I’m thrilled with how it came out!

I’m also working on a jazzy tango-inspired piece about the adventures of the French character Arsene Lupin. I’ve sketched the piece out for piano and I’m starting to orchestrate it for wind band. I think it is going to be a really fun piece! Stay tuned for more!

*NOW AVAILABLE* Six Little Songs for Voice and Chamber Winds

Six Little Songs for solo voice and chamber winds is now available - listen and purchase here.

Six Little Songs is my third song cycle (after Alcott Songs, and New England Folk Songs). In this song cycle, I set short, whimsical poems written by my wife Ashley. I wrote the songs originally in 2017 for voice and piano, and in 2020, Trae Blanco and Murray State University led a consortium that commissioned a new version for solo voice and small chamber ensemble - flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, piano, and one percussionist.

The six short songs present contrasting musical moods, each one painting the scene of the particular poem used for that song.

*NOW AVAILABLE* For This Brave New Day for Wind Band

For This Brave New Day is a grade 4 work for wind ensemble, 6:30 in length - listen and purchase here.

The piece was commissioned in 2020 by a consortium of ensembles and organizations in the northeast in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the South Shore Conservatory Summer Music Festival in Boston, MA. The music depicts the grandeur of a sunrise at the summer music festival - a day beginning with just nature that slowly turns into a glorious day full of music.

Originally scheduled to be premiered at the 2020 SSC Summer Music Festival, the For this Brave New Day was ultimately premiered at the 2021 Summer Music Festival, under the baton of Eric Laprade.

*NOW AVAILABLE* Lamentation for Euphonium and Wind Ensemble

Lamentation for Euphonium and Wind Ensemble is now available - listen and purchase here.

The piece was commissioned in 2019/2020 by World-Wide Concurrent Premieres and Commissioning Fund, Inc. and premiered in February 2020 by the Sam Houston State University Wind Ensemble with Brian Gibbs, Conductor, and euphonium soloist SSG Irving Ray of the US Army Band “Perishing’s Own.”

In addition to the premiere at Sam Houston State University, the SHSU Wind Ensemble and Irving Ray took the piece on tour in February 2020 culminating in a memorable performance at TMEA.

The work was written in memory of Irving’s older brother Isaiah, who was also a euphoniumist who died tragically in 2006.

"American Nocturne" premiered at CSU Pueblo Festival of Winds

This past weekend, I was honored to be a Composer-in-Residence at the Colorado State University Pueblo Festival of Winds. As part of the festival, the CSU Pueblo Wind Ensemble premiered a new piece of mine titled “American Nocturne,” which is the third and final piece in the trilogy of blues scale/train inspired pieces that began with “Magnolia Star.”

“American Nocturne” was commissioned by the Rocky Mountain Commissioning Project, with support from 35 ensembles and individuals. More soon!