I am excited to feature a new section of my website dedicated to music for handbell choirs! These new works are designed to be relatively easy for smaller handbell choirs (2-3 octaves). Currently, there are three pieces available on the handbell page:
Take a look at the scores and have a listen to the recordings! I will be posting more handbell selections soon so be sure to check back!
Some of you might remember hearing me talk about a new marimba duo commission and CD release last summer. Escape Ten, the fantastic percussion duo, asked me to write a piece for them in 2013 and I created the five-movement piece, “Chorale Variations.” Escape Ten has a new publication series with Keyboard Percussion Publications (aptly named the Escape Ten Publication Series) and they will be releasing my piece and several other works commissioned by the duo very soon!
I proofed the final draft of the piece just last week. To tide you over until the piece is available for purchase, here is a video of Escape Ten performing the first movement of "Chorale Variations."
Check out this new recording of Magnolia Star on YouTube - a live performance video of the 2015 Oahu (Hawaii) Band Directors Association High School Select Band conducted by Eugene Migliaro Corporon. February 15, 2015.
High school marching band is a BIG deal many places, and it was a pretty big deal to my friends and I in high school. I played saxophone in our marching band all four years of high school, and even though my senior year was 13 years ago now (WHAT!?!), I can still remember the feeling of stepping onto the field of competition, under the bright lights, our parents and directors screaming and waving cowbells (ah, the blue and gold cowbells). It was magical. We took a great deal of pride in our performance, our collective work throughout the summer and fall culminating in a competition at a local high school each Saturday night. Marching band is a team sport. For some kids, sports are where they find their place. For others, it is music. And many band kids strive for excellence just as much as athletes do, practicing every day, working together, sharing struggles and triumphs, and ultimately building skills and relationships that will last a lifetime.
I have many vivid memories from marching band practices, football games, competitions, etc. But I think the one memory that comes up again and again is the feeling of pride that we shared as a group. It was camaraderie; it was teamwork. The music brought us together into one singular goal - excellence as a group. It was not about any one individual or section. When the band gave a great performance, we all knew it - we felt it. And when we gave a mediocre performance, we felt that, too. It wasn't a result of any one person - it was collective. We were a team.
I remember trying to play well, "roll step," and maintain straight lines in the heat of the annual Labor Day parade. That taught me about perseverance.
I remember trying to play in tune and keep feeling in my stiffening fingers on a particularly cold October night. That taught me about dedication.
I remember, as a senior, trying to set a good example for freshman - teaching them, including them, showing them how much pride we took in this. That taught me about leadership.
I remember when one of our band members got sick and passed away, and we tried to play "You'll Never Walk Alone" without crying. That taught me about loss.
Everything I learned through marching band I carry with me to this day. We represented our school, our band, ourselves, and that feeling of pride and team spirit runs deep. Sometimes marching bands get the short end of the stick - they are the brunt of jokes. But it is as serious as sports, as tight knit as any team, and as competitive as any game. I am thankful for marching band - every experience I had, every relationship I built, every skill I gained. Band kid for life!
I'm very excited to announce the release of a new CD on the Naxos label, featuring my work "Lauda," recorded by the Illinois State University Wind Symphony! The CD features works by living composers, conducted by Daniel A. Belongia. Listen to and download the recording on iTunes and Naxos. The CD is also available from retailers.
Live concert recording of the University of North Texas Wind Symphony performing Magnolia Star:
Live concert recording of the Iowa State University Symphonic Band performing Goodnight, Goodnight:
Live concert recording of the Texas Tech Concert Band performing Adagietto: http://youtu.be/aM6jIk1YohE?t=25m49s
The percussion duo Escape Ten recently released its debut album "Colours of a Groove" which features a work of mine that they commissioned in 2013 - Chorale Variations. You can listen to the album on CD Baby and iTunes. Enjoy! About Chorale Variations Chorale Variations is comprised of five short movements, all variations on an original chorale theme, which appears in the second movement. It incorporates a range of musical styles: from lighthearted, dance-like passages to lyrical solo lines. It takes advantage of the wide range of sonic possibilities that the marimba presents with music that is warm, rich, and vibrant.
More new music, just in time for the Fall semester! Here are four new pieces - three works for band and a new song cycle for Soprano and Wind Octet. Take a look at the scores, listen to the recordings, and let me know if any of these will work for your group. I’d love to hear from you!
Best wishes for a wonderful Fall semester!
Adagietto Grade 5 Band
Based on an original choral tune and inspired by Grainger’s Irish Tune from County Derry (one of my favorite pieces), this work is a simple, yet powerful piece with a soaring melody and rich harmonies. See the score here.
Mountainscape Grade 4 Band
This lyrical work opens with a flute solo, and then a flute duet, introducing the theme that is developed throughout the work. The music is inspired by this passage from Isaiah 55:12:
"For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."
Journeys Grade 5 Band
This work is about life and living, new experiences (musical or otherwise) that make and define us, and those who have influenced us for the better. The journey has only just begun! See the score here
Journeys was commissioned by the Tennessee Music Education Association and Eastman Chemical Company for the 2014 TMEA 11-12 All-State Band. Listen to a recording here.
Alcott Songs Soprano and Chamber Winds Octet (Grade 5)
Now available for pre-order! Witty and whimsical, this song cycle is comprised of six short pieces with text by 19th century American writer Louisa May Alcott. The work features a variety of musical material: from the light, buoyant dance-like opening to the soft lullaby at the close. See the score here
Alcott Songs was commissioned in 2014 by a group of musicians and institutions. See the full list here.
It's August, which means it's time to start listening to Christmas music, right? I've been working on a few new choral projects this summer and am excited to share them with you! Here are four new choral works - anthems and hymn arrangements perfect for your Fall, Advent, and Christmas programs! Take a look at the scores, listen to the recordings, and let me know if you are interested in any of these works. I'd love to hear from you!
Best wishes for a wonderful Fall semester!
For All His Blessings SATB Choir with Piano
This lyrical anthem quotes the text and music from the doxology - "Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost" - in a recurring refrain. D.W. Griffin's text is general enough to be used at any point of the year, but it is especially fitting for Thanksgiving! The final stanza illustrates the richness of textual imagery: "O praise the Lord for all He’s done, for all His blessings, one by one, and see His goodness, mountains high, fill all the earth and sea and sky."
Wake, O My Soul SATB Choir Unaccompanied
A carol-like anthem for the Advent and Christmas season - full of joy, awe, and reverence. Perfect for Christmas Eve or a special holiday program! The opening stanza reads, "Wake, O my soul, and hail the morn, for unto us a Savior’s born; see, how the angels wing their way, to usher in the glorious day!"
O Little Town of Bethlehem SATB Choir & Organ with optional String Quartet and Congregational Singing
A simple and serene setting of this well-known carol, with the tune FOREST GREEN. This work was written as a hymn arrangement to be used with congregational singing, but may also be used as a choral anthem. Perfect for a Lessons and Carols service! Use with organ accompaniment or organ and string quartet. An optional Soprano descant is included for the last verse.
My men's choir (TTBB unaccompanied) piece "From Our Happy Home" with text by Louisa May Alcott is now published and available through Colla Voce Music here! You can order the octavos directly from Colla Voce, and the piece will soon be available on JW Pepper. If you are looking for a fun Christmas-themed men's choir piece, check it out! You can see the full score on the Colla Voce page here.
