NEW MUSIC LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Hi, friends!
It has been a busy, busy summer. I have played so many video games. Specifically Pokémon—I’ve really been on a kick lately. I’ve been taking some seriously needed time to rest and just float for a bit. These past few weeks, I have been in a summer class called “Cosmic Origins” and I’ve learned a whole bunch of cool stuff about space while knocking out a science credit for my degree. So, I’ve been having fun!
I’ve also been at work; I’m writing several pieces and I spent the past few weeks prepping several new pieces for publication, as well as some new editions of already-published pieces. So, here’s some new music!!!
Shining as the Sun was originally commissioned from me as a flex piece; now, this grade 3 set of variations on Amazing Grace is now available in a symphonic band instrumentation!
Similarly, Christmas Night was originally a clarinet octet. Now, this work—inspired by Gustav Holst’s Christmas medley Christmas Day (with which it would pair very well!)—is available as a rip-roaring grade 5 Christmassy barn burner for wind ensemble!
Finding Home, an adventurous rock-inspired work for chamber wind ensemble, has now been updated with a new edition and a live recording!
Y’all know I love me some Kevin Day. He has a brilliant string quartet work, Variation V, and I just had this feeling that it would be a killer wind ensemble work. So, this brand-new wind ensemble version is now available to check out and purchase. It is a wonderful blend of our styles, I’d like to think! (And don’t forget to check out the original version, too!)
Assurance is a lush, sparkling grade 4 lyrical work, commissioned from me by my band director Brian Youngblood in honor of his mother. This piece is great for putting together in a short amount of time, and although your percussionists might cringe at hearing that it’s a lyrical piece, they’ll quickly find that they’ll have plenty to do!
Speaking of Kevin Day and Brian Youngblood, I was recently privileged with the honor of preparing a new edition of Kevin’s work J.R., commissioned from him by Brian Youngblood is honor of his father (so, in a way, my work Assurance is now a companion piece to it!). This shiny new edition is filled with minor edits/improvements inspired by Kevin and Brian’s experiences with the work in the past few years.
And, speaking of new editions—I have had a blast with the warm reception that my work O rose of May has received in the five years since I wrote it in high school. I love that people enjoy it and I have been privileged to work with many ensembles who have prepared it for performance. The thing is that I’ve learned a lot in five years. So, I now have a brand-spanking-new Definitive 2023 Edition of the piece! This new version incorporates all kinds of improvements based on what I’ve learned over the past half-decade, and it is designed to improve the experience that everyone has with this piece. It also now comes with optional contrabassoon and contrabass clarinet parts! Don’t worry, it’s all the same music; it’s not radically different, just radically better!
Finally, my newest work for wind ensemble, Nocturne, is now published and available to purchase! I was recently honored with being selected as a finalist in Julie Giroux’s recent call for works with this piece. I am so deeply proud of this work, and I hope you will consider checking it out!
As always, I want to express my gratitude to Sean Murphy—I absolutely love being a part of the Murphy Music Press, and I will always appreciate the support he has given me.
I’ve also got some new music on the way:
Celestial Bodies is an in-progress grade 3 band work about love, grief, family, community, and all the ways in which we impact one another irrevocably.
Day of Peace Fanfare is an in-progress trombone octet that—first solemnly, then joyfully—celebrates the United Nations’ International Day of Peace.
Shadows and Echoes is an in-progress solemn, nostalgic work for tuba and piano written to honor brotherhood and celebrate the lives of siblings lost.
Silver Wind is an in-progress grade 5 wind ensemble barn-burner, perfect for opening or closing one of your next concerts!
I’m writing a grade 4-ish medley of Carol of the Bells and Greensleeves for wind ensemble—I’m still taking title suggestions on this one!
And to top it off, I am writing a piano+flute work for my good friend Josh Trentadue—more details to come on that later!
So, that’s the news! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have thoughts or questions about these works. I’m always glad to chat and collaborate!
Enjoy the music!