Compositions

Several short piano pieces for the intermediate to advanced player are presented. The work is mostly tonal, while far from being strictly “white notes.” The movements vary greatly in tempo and style.

• March 24, 2009. Franklin Gross (piano); performed in the Recital Studio at the University of Texas at Austin.

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The work has been described by the Stone Fort Wind Quintet as having “rhythmic intensity” and a “vibrant harmonic language.” The slow, mysterious first movement contains vestiges of the exciting themes found later in the second movement. The music of the daring and mischievous second movement is forced forward through alternating meter and sudden rhythmic shifts, which help to provide an exciting, anxious mood. The movement breathes for a moment in the middle with a beautiful extended section featuring several soloists on tranquil themes.

• February 28, 2009. Oklahoma City University Graduate Quintet (flute: Carley Flowers; oboe: Benjamin Killebrew; clarinet: Lisa Hollowell; bassoon: Travis Smith; horn: Cameron Bell); performed in the Medium Rehearsal Hall at Oklahoma City University for the 2009 Society of Composers, Inc. Region VI Conference.
• November 6, 2007. Stone Fort Wind Quintet (flute: Christina Guenther; oboe: John W. Goodall; clarinet: Christopher Ayer; horn: Charles Gavin; bassoon: Kirsten Nelson); performed in the Cole Concert Hall at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas.
• April 15, 2007. Quintet Attacca (flute: Jennifer Clippert; oboe: Erica Burtner Anderson; clarinet: Barbara Drapcho; bassoon: Collin Anderson; horn: Jeremiah Frederick); performed in the Lily Reid Holt Memorial Chapel at Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois.

Performance on February 28, 2009 recognized in the spring 2009 issue of Playback magazine (online edition), the official magazine of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). The article can be viewed online here.

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Solo is a brief work for flute, marked “restless” in the score, which displays both the lyrical and agile qualities of the instrument.

• March 24, 2009. Joanna Martin (flute); performed in the Recital Studio at the University of Texas at Austin.

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My Earliest Memory is based on a poem by Ray Gonzalez in which he describes a fond memory of his grandmother and their mutual love for one another. The music attempts to recreate this interaction, but through a veil of dreamlike sounds. The work is dedicated to the memory of Richard G. Brand, who left us far too soon.

• March 24, 2009. Bryan Bolzenthal (baritone), Shane Lamb (piano); performed in the Recital Studio at the University of Texas at Austin.
• April 19, 2007. Bryan Bolzenthal (baritone), Shane Lamb (piano); performed in the Bates Recital Hall at the University of Texas at Austin.

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Chosen as the theme music for “Music from UT,” a radio program on KMFA Classical 89.5 FM in Austin, Texas. To hear the broadcast, simply tune-in to “Music from UT” any Saturday at 8pm CST. The broadcast is streamed live over the internet as well; simply click here at the aforementioned time and choose a streaming method from one of the two provided options.

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The three movements are in typical fast-slow-fast form, with the middle movement making up the bulk of the work. The first movement is fast and exciting with alternating meter and sudden rhythmic twists. The middle movement is slow and expressive, reflecting on several themes presented in the first movement. The final movement is very mischievous, with interesting interplay between the instruments.

• March 5, 2010. Issac Winland and Briana Blankenship (trumpets), William Holderby (horn), Austin Seybert (trombone), John Arthur (tuba); performed in the Smith Recital Hall at Marshall College in Huntington, West Virginia for the 2010 Society of Composers, Inc. National Student Conference.
• March 24, 2009. Josh Davies and Ian Kivler (trumpets), Anne Marie Cherry (horn), Javier Stuppard (trombone), Blake Cooper (tuba); performed in the Recital Studio at the University of Texas at Austin.
• December 11, 2007. Kyoung-ki Min and Sungkwon Park (trumpets), Megan Slater (horn), Seiran Adilov (trombone), Stephen Duggan (tuba); performed in the Aaron Copland School of Music's Lefrak Concert Hall at Queens College in Flushing, New York.
• November 15, 2007. Kyoung-ki Min and Sungkwon Park (trumpets), Megan Slater (horn), Seiran Adilov (trombone), Stephen Duggan (tuba); performed in the Aaron Copland School of Music's Lefrak Concert Hall at Queens College in Flushing, New York for the 2007 Society of Composers, Inc. Region II Conference.
• February 10, 2007. Central Brass Quintet (trumpets: Alan Wenger and David Aaberg; horn: Gary Moege; trombone: John Check; tuba: Jon Gregory); performed in the Hart Recital Hall at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg for the 2007 Society of Composers, Inc. Region VI Conference.

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Scherzo was secretly composed from November to December of 2005. It was presented to the composer's wife on December 19, 2005 as a Christmas gift. It is a short, virtuosic, exciting work for an advanced trumpet player.

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The title Legend was chosen for its obvious suggestion of the mysterious, the unknown, and perhaps the adventurous quality of a popular tale. The use of modal harmony and lyric melody provide the piece with what could perhaps be seen as the adventurous quality of such a tale.

• March 24, 2009. Szee-won Lee (viola), Shane Lamb (piano); performed in the Recital Studio at the University of Texas at Austin.
• November 4, 2006. Melissa Becker (viola), Carla Davis (piano); performed in the Recital Studio at the University of Texas at Austin for the University of Texas String Project Recital.

Awarded the best composition for an intermediate-level player as part of the 2005 University of Texas Solo String Music Competition.

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The three movements are written in a deliberately simplistic style. Sparse in texture and modest in presentation, the work exists only to highlight the sound world of the piano. Each movement wanders from one sound to the next, only hinting at a modest formal structure.

• March 24, 2009. Franklin Gross (piano); performed in the Recital Studio at the University of Texas at Austin.
• November 12, 2007. Shane Lamb (piano); performed in the Bates Recital Hall at the University of Texas at Austin.

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Warrior Dance was written especially for the Bridge Creek Beginning Band, Bridge Creek, Oklahoma, and their director, Carissa Hendrix. This exciting, powerful work includes plenty of cues for bands that may be missing instruments or lack technical ability in some parts.

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American March was written especially for the Bridge Creek Beginning Band, Bridge Creek, Oklahoma, and their director, Carissa Hendrix. This work is intended for a beginning or intermediate level band. It would work well on a concert of American music. Plenty of cues are included for bands that may be missing instruments or lack technical ability in some parts.

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Triumphant Overture was written especially for the Bridge Creek Beginning Band, Bridge Creek, Oklahoma, and their director, Carissa Hendrix. Intended for a beginning band, this work features spots for solo instruments and exciting ensemble playing. Plenty of cues are included for bands that may be missing instruments or lack technical ability in some parts.

• May 12, 2005. Bridge Creek Beginning Band (Bridge Creek, Oklahoma), under the direction of Carissa Hendrix.

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The theme for this work originated while driving through the beautiful country back-roads of Bridge Creek, Oklahoma. The variations are all derived from the descending English horn solo found at the beginning of the theme.

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Originally conceived as a simple representation of the book of Lamentations as found in the Old Testament of the Bible, the work as a whole began to take on new meaning as it progressed.

The beginning of the piece is angry and turbulent, depicting the consequences of sin resulting in the destruction of Jerusalem. The piece then reflects on the sorrow, death, and loss of the people of Jerusalem in a mournful theme featuring the piano. Hope is described in the Bible as returning to the city only after they realized that God had never left them. The music then describes this affirmation of God's love for all humanity in a profound extended coda.

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The Rise of the Incans was written especially for the Bridge Creek High School Band, Bridge Creek, Oklahoma, and their director, Carissa Hendrix. The Incans were the most powerful civilization during their time, known for their ability to turn any ordinary villager into a formidable soldier. Establishing its empire in Peru around A.D. 1400, they continually expanded their nation through warfare and diplomacy. The Rise of the Incans depicts the dominating forces of the Incan Empire through powerful returning themes, a reflective middle section, and an overall robust sound.

The music is exciting and accessible, and includes cues to assist bands who may miss instruments or lack technical ability in some parts.

• May 12, 2009. Holcomb High School Band (Holcomb, Kansas), under the direction of Paul White.
• May 12, 2005. Bridge Creek High School Band (Bridge Creek, Oklahoma), under the direction of Carissa Hendrix.

Medina, NY: Imagine Music Publishing, 2009.

Winner of the 2008 Pathway Band Composition Competition, a nationwide call for level 1-4 band scores.

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The title does not refer to a specific anniversary, but rather evokes the recollection of past experiences and serves as a celebration of the life the composer and his wife have had together. The work is also a celebration of the inherent lyrical and agile qualities of the trumpet. Long, expressive phrases help to carry the piece forward, while interjections of bravura themes help to provide contrast.

• February 24, 2007. Ben Drury (trumpet), Bev Nichols (piano); performed in the Jansen Music Hall at Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa for the 2007 Society of Composers, Inc. Region V Conference.
• February 22, 2007. Adam Hayes (trumpet), You Ju Lee (piano); performed in the Gloria Shott Performance Hall at North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega as part of a Faculty Cooperative Recital.
• April 13, 2004. Carissa Hendrix (trumpet), Brandon Hendrix (piano); performed in the Morris R. Pitman Recital Hall at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

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Caricature attempts to display the orchestra in an objective, almost jocose manner. The theme, which begins mischievously, is later transformed into something more sinister and foreboding.

• February 13, 2004. University of Oklahoma Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Gene Moon; performed in the Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

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The work consists of three movements, each of which presents similar motivic material. The movements were composed consecutively over a period of a year-and-a-half from the summer of 2002 to December of 2003, representing a considerable time span of the composer's compositional development.

• October 13, 2006. Steven Crichlow and Chrystal Smothers (violins), Jan Matthews (viola), Nick Alvarez (cello); performed in the Evelyn Smith Music Theatre at Arizona State University in Tempe for the 2006 Society of Composers, Inc. National Student Conference.
• April 13 & 19, 2004. Bacchus Quartet (violins: Ty Myers and Marco Escobar; viola: Luis Enrique Casal; cello: Stephanie Fresonke); performed in the Morris R. Pitman Recital Hall at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.
• November 18, 2002 (first movement only). Ben Harris and Weini Tekeste (violins), Jennifer Ibarra (viola), Chris Corbishley (cello); performed in the Morris R. Pitman Recital Hall at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

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The work consists of three movements, each of which represents the character of the instrument that plays. The movements are tied together using similar repeating motives. The second and final movements show off the impressive agility of the piccolo and C flute.

• April 18, 2008. Performed in the Recital Hall at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas for the 2008 Society of Composers, Inc. Region VI Conference.
• February 10, 2007. Lorraine Miller (flutes), flutist for the Wichita Symphony Orchestra (Wichita, Kansas); performed in the Hart Recital Hall at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg for the 2007 Society of Composers, Inc. Region VI Conference.
• December 1, 2005. Ashley Addington (flutes); performed in the Recital Studio at the University of Texas at Austin.
• April 13, 2004. Terri Dunn (flutes); performed in the Morris R. Pitman Recital Hall at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.
• December 3, 2003. Terri Dunn (flutes); performed in the Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

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“Bahrah” (pronounced “bay-ray”) is the transliteration of the Hebrew phrase “to create.” The idea for this composition was to take certain important themes from the Creation in the Bible and turn them into musical motives, and then use these motives to develop musical material.

The process of turning events from the book of Genesis into musical material was fairly simple. By simply taking the transliteration of certain key words and breaking them up into syllables, the composer could then base the motives on 1) the rhythmic syllabification and 2) the natural Hebrew inflection.

The work as a whole is not intended to symbolize the Creation. It simply represents the primitive and raw forces that were used in the creative act. Of particular importance is the motive for “God,” which is represented in the log drum and is featured throughout the work as a sort of recurring theme.

• February 4, 2010. Stephanie Brace, Christian Clark, Justin Swearingen, Cydney Thompson (percussionists), under the direction of Andrew Kruspe; performed in Roberts Recital Hall at the University of Alabama in Huntsville for the 2nd Annual New Music Festival (click here for photo – .jpg, 69 kb).
• April 8, 2008. Chris Childs, Donnie Hogue, Jared Lanham, John Gregg (percussionists); performed in the Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University in Atlanta.
• February 23, 2008. Chris Childs, Donnie Hogue, Jared Lanham, John Gregg (percussionists); performed in the Kopleff Recital Hall at Georgia State University in Atlanta for the 2008 Society of Composers, Inc. National Conference.
• February 20, 2008. Lee Parham, Jennifer Higgins, Sarah Koss, Chris Riggs (percussionists); radio broadcast on WOBC 91.5 FM in Oberlin, Ohio.
• October 27, 2006. Michael Holland, David Walker, Tyler Warren, Jonathan Wright (percussionists); performed in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro for the 2006 Society of Composers, Inc. Region IV Conference.
• November 12, 2003 & April 13, 2004. Lee Parham, Jennifer Higgins, Sarah Koss, Chris Riggs (percussionists); performed in the Morris R. Pitman Recital Hall at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

Everett, PA: HoneyRock Publications, 2009.

Combs, F. Michael. Percussive Notes (Jan. 2010): 61. Click here (pdf,
93.2 kb) to view the article.

Performance on February 23, 2008 recognized in the summer 2008 issue of Playback magazine (print and online editions), the official magazine of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). The article can be viewed online here.

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