Belligerance: John M. Pasternak
Belligerence, not to be confused with belligerent, means "aggressive or warlike behavior." The beginning of this piece starts with the march to battle. at measure 25 a battle begins between the upper and lower voices. at measure 31 the whole group is suddenly soft crescendoing to a climax at measure 39. Then, the whole ensemble regroups for another battle which is followed by a restatement of the introduction |
Infinity: Katahj Copley
Shooting stars have symbolized many things throughout our Earth’s history: a new birth, good luck, a change or big event in one’s life, a brief wonder, a fleeting moment, love, an ending or beginning, one reaching their ultimate destiny, and a wish for a better opportunity in one’s life Throughout our Earth’s history, shooting stars have been one of the most significant prophecies we’ve encountered. This, along with asteroids and the movement of heavenly bodies in the night sky, has always been a fascination of mine. It wasn’t until I decided to dive into the subject of shooting stars that I understood the magic behind the miracle. With Infinity, I wanted to construct the phenomena of shooting stars flying through an infinite playground- space. As the piece begins, this playground is filled with stars running through the skies. As we transition from dark to light, the stars encounter different scenarios until the end, where they embrace their bright colors and flash across the atmosphere with spectacular grandeur. |
Chasing Sunlight: Cait Nishimura
Chasing Sunlight was inspired by the experience of driving west into the setting sun, as if trying to keep up with the earth's rotation to catch the last few rays of light before dusk. The steady eighth note motif throughout the piece represents this sense of urgency, while the soaring, lyrical themes depict the warmth and radiance of the sun low in the sky. Just as the sun will always set, humans must accept the impermanence of all things in life, and make the most of every opportunity before it has passed. Chasing Sunlight also represents the ongoing pursuit of these opportunities. |
Foundry: John Mackey
The idea with Foundry was to make a piece that celebrates the fact that percussionists have this ability to make just about anything into an “instrument.” Snare drums and bass drums are great, but why not write a whole piece featuring non-traditional percussion — things like salad bowls and mixing bowls and piles of wood? In some cases, I was specific about what instrument to play (timpani, xylophone, etc.). With many of the parts, though, I only described what sound I wanted (play a “clang” — a metal instrument, probably struck with a hammer, that creates a rich “CLANG!” sound), and allowed the percussionist to be creative in finding the best “instrument” to make the sound I described. It won’t be surprising that Foundry, for concert band with “found percussion,” much of it metallic, ends up sounding like a steel factory. |
Metropolis Downpour: Darius Edwards
I began writing Metropolis Downpour in the Spring of 2017 after my final theory class at Blair School of Music. As I left the building, thunder roared from the skies as flash floods surged throughout the streets. The sky was a beautiful navy, complimenting the copper roads that reflected the beams of the streetlights. On my normal route home, I passed over the I-65 and I-440 exchange which has a beautiful view of Nashville’s skyline. That’s when I found inspiration for the title itself. From there, I asked several people what came to their mind when they thought about the storms. Some of the ideas I received were chaos, mystery, tranquility and romance. With those ideas in mind, I began one of my most ambitious projects at the time. Originally scored for sax ensemble in 2019, I decided to rewrite the work for wind ensemble in 2021. I chose to change the key to E-flat and have fallen in love with it, and I hope you enjoy the piece! |
|
Student Program Notes:
Listening to Metropolis downpour it an experience. The song reminds me of everyone's day to day life. It is an adventure, and not every journey is easy but at some point we must overcome our challenges, and to do that we have to go through the storm. Once we go past the clouds and thunder all we see is the tranquility of the world we never thought would come. I think it's very fun to play this piece. It challenges everyone in a certain degree and playing together just shows how all instruments help balance each other out. I'm not sure that this song would be what it is if everyone wasn't apart of it. With that in mind consider an experience where you've felt this way and use that to think deeper and really feel the piece out. |
Starlight: Katahj Copley
When looking up in the sky, the stars are ever so freeing. Filled with wonder and filled with hope, they are the sketches of the universe. With this lyrical piece, a melody is brought and it evolves into something stellar. I've written many pieces about the sky and this one has a different theme to it this time: What joys and wonders can a star and its light bring to a night sky. The opening clarinet is our first star and from the opening mottif more stars beginning to show up until the climax where the sky is at its brightest. After the climax the sky begins to settle in for the end of the night- the stars begin to fade as the sun appears. This piece is an ode to the colors, the worries, and the joys of wonder. |
Wilderness: Cait Nishimura
My fascination with the natural world began in childhood, and it wasn’t long before I learned about the harmful impacts of human activity on the environment. Old growth forests and essential ecosystems like wetlands were being replaced by housing developments and highways. As a child, I felt helpless about it all; now, as an adult, I know that there is so much we can all do to be part of the solution. Sometimes, we just need to feel empowered first, and I believe art is one of the most effective ways to inspire others. This piece was commissioned by the Midwest Band & Orchestra Clinic in celebration of their 75th anniversary. Wilderness celebrates and honours Earth’s remaining wild spaces and the people who fight to protect them. Through this music, I explore the range of emotions I experience as an environmentalist, and I express my gratitude for all that nature has given me. This piece is a call-to-action for all of us to do our part in spreading awareness about climate change, to reflect on our relationship with nature, and to deepen our respect for the stewards of this land. |
Student Program Notes:
Spring comes, and with it comes new adventures and stories. New paths open up, and those roads are not always straight and narrow. Music is something that can take you on a journey. That journey is not straightforward; everyone will interpret it differently and be taken on a different path. Regardless, we hope to bring you on that journey with us as we perform Wilderness by Cait Nishimura. The calm sweeping of the beginning will surely whisk you away like the spring breeze. You can visualize the swaying green of grass in the wind and the vast fields that hold wondrous life. The shifting tone throughout brings us to different scenes: ones of joy, ones of sadness, ones of triumph, ones of defeat, but most importantly ones of change. This song tells many tales, perhaps interconnected. Let the sound surround you and take you to a land beyond our own, one of imagination.
|