Bits and Bytes
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Bits and Bytes is a piece many years in the making. Not because I wasn't sure where to go with it, but because band directing take a lot of time. Being scatter-brained doesn't help either. This piece has some minimalist elements to it, the "bits and bytes" that come together to create unique textures that drive the piece forward. And though it has some minimalistic tendencies, it is still heavily melody driven, with all sections of the band getting moments to shine. This piece is fun, upbeat, and even grooves a bit in the tutti sections. |
Sumerian Kings
This epic adventure takes you back few thousand years to the days of the kingdoms of Ancient Sumer. The piece begins with a flute solo and slowly building to a tutti full band phrase, quickly fading away. Then adventure then begins as the woodwinds take us into the fast paced escapade where each section gets a moment to shine. The piece culminates to a reprise of the initial tutti section, and continues strongly to the end. Because we don't actually know what kind of music the Sumerians actually listened to, I went for minor/modal melodies to help with the "ancient" sound.
Shadowlands
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The title says it all. This is dark and mysterious piece of music. The opening section is as though you're wandering through a bleak landscape, illustrated by minor melodies and chord combinations. The piece then kicks it up a notch to a very fast paced and sometimes very aggressive section of music. There's a lot of momentum passed through the the sections of the band, including an 8 bar percussion feature (did I mention there are a LOT of percussion parts). The end is much brighter and optimistic...making it out of the Shadowlands! |
Loch Lomond
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This is my take on the classic Scottish Folk Song. I've always loved this melody, not just because the "Mc" in my name, but because I've always used this tune as a stepping stone for teaching musicality. Specifically, I would always pick up my trombone to play #27 (Loch Lomond) from book 2 of Essential Elements. I would stretch the phrases and make a big deal with dynamics. No matter what group of students I was teaching, I could ALWAYS "draw them in." When I was done, we would have that post-performance moment where time briefly hangs in balance. "And THAT, is what it means to make music," I would say. |
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