Recording: Texas Christian University Symphonic Band | Brian Youngblood, Conductor
Young Voices was, originally, a take on the unsettled political climate of the United States in 2018 and how it looks through the eyes of a young adult. This basic idea has only become more relevant—as I have continued to grow as a young adult, the atmosphere of my home country has grown increasingly tense and divisive. But just as in 2018 when I originally composed this work for brass and percussion, it is empowering to see people my age who shout out and make their voices heard against the confusion and conflict of our time. As I and my country have grown and changed, so has the meaning of this work. So, I have arranged it for wind ensemble to breath new life and experience into it. This fanfare is a short portrait of youthful determination, and a celebration of the youngest generations of American adults.
The themes of this piece are expanded upon greatly in my concerto for trombone and wind ensemble, The Beginning of Spring. This piece makes a great “companion” piece for that work and could potentially be performed as a sort of prelude before the concerto.