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Band
Perpetual Ascent
For Wind Ensemble
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Program Notes
The main inspiration for Perpetual Ascent is meant to evoke motion; of constantly rising up and moving forward in an unrelenting way. This can be seen throughout the piece by the constant upbeat tempo, almost consistent driving 8th notes, chromatic rising motifs, and the layering and rapid firing triplet melody that becomes interwoven among a thick orchestrational texture.
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The beginning of the piece establishes a 3/4 3/4 2/4 changing meter rhythm that is used as a basis for the majority of the piece. Its characteristic allows the listener to feel like the music is always driving forward in a steadfast yet sometimes frantic way. This, in contrast with my elongated triplet melody (eventually put into canon) are the two hallmarks of the piece and create a dynamic that forces players to learn how their parts fit into the full texture.
The Shadows of Time's Past
For Brass Band
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Program Notes
Adapted from the British brass band tradition for instruments more commonly found in America, The Shadows of Time’s Past is meant to represent those moments in our lives that hold the utmost significance to us. Based on a simplistic four note theme, the piece is meant to derive meaning from this motivic development: augmenting the first iteration of the theme, secondly stating it in its entirety, next presenting a variation on it, before finally augmenting the theme once more that culminates in an ensemble tutti. These snippets of the theme reflect our memories that lie dormant within the shadows of our own minds; some are happy, some sad, some are crystal clear, while others are as distant as if we had never experienced them to begin with. As time moves away from these moments we hold dear, we may not remember every detail about the situation, but out of the shadows, we will remember why they are important, and the way they made us feel in the moment.