Almost Beyond

Medium: Marimba/Piano Duo
Publisher: C. Alan Publications
Composed: 2009
Duration: 5:00

Instrumentation
5-octave marimba
piano

Look Inside Score

Full Recording
Performed by Nick Ryan (marimba) and Angi Ko (piano)

The Celtic Xylophone, Books 1 & 2

Medium: Xylophone w/ Piano Accompaniment 
Publisher: C. Alan Publications
Arranged: 2009
Duration: 8:00 (each book)

Instrumentation
xylophone
piano

Look Inside Book 1 | Look Inside Book 2 

(Use the fastforward button to skip to the next track)
Book 1: 1 / 2 / 3 | Book 2: 1 / 2 / 3

Ellipsis

Medium: Percussion Ensemble 

Publisher: C. Alan Publications
Composed: 2009
Duration: 5:00

Instrumentation
bells, xylophone, vibraphone, 2 marimbas, 4 toms, SD, timpani, BD, 2 woodblocks, bongos, sus cym, hi-hat, tam-tam, wind chimes

Look Inside Score

Full Recording

Encantada

Medium: Solo Vibraphone

Publisher: C. Alan Publications
Composed: 2010
Duration: 5:00

Instrumentation
3-octave vibraphone
(with optional extended range to 3.5-octave) 

Look Inside Score

Full Recording

Please excuse the following:

• the green hue courtesy of the flourescent lights in my office at work
• the moderately poor video quality
• the 4 wrong notes (yes, I counted)

Otherwise, enjoy!

Read more about "Encantada" in an earlier blog post.

So, I found myself running past the Wright Brothers Memorial knowing why I was running – to get the mileage in for my training – but pondering why I enjoy it so much and why it feels so natural to me now. And this is when it hit me. Since I was 4 or 5 years old, I have been playing a musical instrument of some kind and, therefore, preparing for recitals and concerts. If I didn’t put in enough hours practicing the music for these performances, I would be completely unprepared and would likely fail. If I procrastinate (which I am very prone to do) and try to cram all the practicing into a short period of time just before the performance, pain will ensue because I have not trained my muscles properly and built up the requisite calluses & scar tissue necessary to play pain-free. The exact same thing can be said of training for a road race – especially the longer distances, such as a 10K, half marathon, and marathon. If you don’t get enough mileage in the weeks & months leading up to a race, it’s going to hurt and you run the risk of injuring yourself and possibly not even finishing the race.

Here’s my list of reasons why I think all classical musicians should be runners:

1. Discipline. We already have it. We have spent hours and hours alone in a practice room playing those passages over and over again. Just need to have the patience to start out at a slow pace and build it up from there. Dial back that metronome.
2. Stamina. Running non-stop for 2+ hours has greatly improved my stamina behind the marimba in practice and performance. Whether you are a percussionist, conductor, string player or whatever, your “instrument” is physically demanding. Nothing wrong with a bit of aerobic conditioning.
3. Mental Practice. Being out on the road running for 30 minutes/an hour/2 hours is a fantastic opportunity to do some practicing away from the instrument. Some people I talk to think that all the time I spend running takes away from my practice time. No reason it should. Just spend that time “playing” through a piece in your mind or memorizing a certain passage.
4. Inspiration. This is an extension of mental practice. I have come up with several seeds of ideas and themes for compositions while on a run. For instance, the main theme of the first movement of my Vibraphone Concerto came to me while on a long run in Oklahoma. I also wrote a middle school band piece called Downtown Dash that was inspired by a 5K race I ran.
5. SWAG. I don't really have a musical correlation for this one, but who doesn't like getting free stuff?! Race shirts, running socks, gel, coupons, and for the longer races a medal. Good stuff!

I only started running about 3 years ago, but I quickly caught the “bug” and now I absolutely love it. Training for my first full marathon (the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C.) will start in mid-July (ugh) and will continue for 17 weeks until race day on Halloween 2010. I have several performances in the middle of the training, including one in Wisconsin that’s two days before the main event. I have met so many great friends in the running community, but hardly any of them are musicians. My charge to you is to get out on the road or trails and run. You might find that it’s exactly what was missing from your life and that you’ll become a better musician as a result.

Edward Witt

Born: December 19, 1991

High School: Mt. Lebanon High School Class of 2010

Activities: Percussion Ensembles (Holiday, Brazilian, Keyboard Percussion), Marching Band, Orchestra, Intramural Ping-Pong

Instruments: Percussion, Trumpet, Piano

Private Percussion Teacher: Mr. Subha Das

Awards & Honors: High Honor Roll, Featured soloist at Interlochen Arts Camp

Plans for the Fall: Attend Carnegie Mellon University majoring in music composition

Aspirations for the Future: Film Composer & Teacher

Of the three instruments you play, which is your favorite?
I really love piano, simply because I’ve played it enough that I’ve reached the point where I can just sit down and play whatever comes to mind. It’s a great stress-reliever. I also like playing the trumpet in a large ensemble, like my school orchestra. A full brass section can add so much muscle to the sound and always makes things more epic. Percussion is great because it’s very physical and hands-on. Hmm... It’s hard to pick a favorite because they are all great in different ways.

When did you first start composing?
Before I could read music, I would sit at the piano and play a few notes. After a little while, I started to put simple sequences that I liked together. In elementary school, we had a small composer’s forum where kids would write little pieces and then have them performed. I composed my first piece, entitled “Monday Morning” for solo celesta.

What is your favorite ensemble or instrument to compose for so far?
I really like the textures you can create with percussion. The instruments are so versatile and there are so many different sounds you can get out of them. I am also attracted to percussion ensembles simply because they are still a bit unconventional.

Where do you find inspiration (musical or otherwise) for your compositions?
I find inspiration in many different ways. Occasionally I’ll see something in nature that, for whatever reason, really sticks with me and I do what I can to recreate it. For example, in a recent visit to Italy, I was standing outside a train station in Venice when it suddenly started pouring rain. Just being in that environment really affected me and so I started writing. I also try to listen to as much new music as I can get my hands on. I go through “phases” of what I focus on. I might listen to only jazz for one week, and then hardcore techno the next. My pieces are very influenced by what I am experiencing at the time. It’s kind of like a journal.

Tell me about your percussion ensemble piece "Cellar Door" that was just premiered at Mt. Lebanon. It's a really striking title.
After I finished the piece, I really had no idea what to call it. Titles are always very difficult for me because I feel like people interpret the piece based on what I call it rather than experience it in a way that is more meaningful to them personally. In other words, I would rather people experience the piece without the prejudice they might gather from a title. It is for this reason that I arbitrarily chose "Cellar Door." As told in the movie Donnie Darko, J.R.R. Tolkien has described this phrase as the most beautiful utterance in the English language. By calling the piece "Cellar Door," it got people to say this phrase often (sort of a whole new piece on its own in a John Cage-esque way). The title is independent of the piece itself. I just wanted it to be ambiguous.

How has music helped or influenced you in other areas of your life?
How have other areas of your life (people, activities, etc.) affected or influenced your musical experiences?
Music, for me, is all about communication. I’ve never been good with words. Music allows you to convey a message that you might not know how to say. It can also teach you a lot about patience, discipline, and dedication.

What do you see yourself doing in 10 years? 20 years?
I’d love to write film scores some day. I think my writing style would really lend itself to it. If that doesn’t work, I also have some interest in teaching.

What are the 10 most frequently played/listened to artists on your iPod or in your iTunes library? Does this influence your compositions in any way?
10. David Gillingham (Century Variants, Symphony #2 for Band, Concerto for Horn)
I really love all of Gillinghamʼs work. I feel like my style is very similar to his. I hope my music can be half as good as his some day.

9. Tenacious D
I like this band for itʼs comedic values, but also for Kyle Gassʼ skill on guitar. “Tribute” is one of the best songs in the world :)

8. Pink Martini
This group is great for chillinʼ. They are so different, and I love the way they mix genres.

7. Joris de Man (Killzone 2)
You need to check this album out. He hasnʼt done much mainstream stuff, but his orchestration skill is top-notch. Itʼs so emotional and epic. He tends to blend a live orchestral (organic) sound with MIDI (industrial) percussion for a really neat effect.

6. The Killers
The sound of Brandon Flowersʼ voice has such an interesting quality to it. This music helps me think.

5. The Kooks
Also good for contemplation. I donʼt know how to describe them other than incredibly smooth.

4. Ludwig van Beethoven
Beethovenʼs later works have a significant impact on my writing. His symphonies are the best, especially his 7th. I love his innovation.

3. Sergei Rachmaninoff
For me, Beethoven is to symphonies as Rachmaninoff is to piano concertos. Iʼm in love with the way he combines the orchestra with the piano. He truly was a master at what he did.

2. James Newton-Howard (Lady in the Water, I Am Legend, The Village, Treasure Planet)
Also something you should check out if you havenʼt already. The music of “Lady in the Water” really had a strong impact on me. I love the chord progressions he uses. His work is the single greatest inspiration for me to write film scores.

1. Camille Saint-Saens
I love Saint-Saensʼ charm. His music has such a magical quality to it that no one has been able to duplicate.

wrap-up

Ed Witt will be attending Carnegie Mellon University in the fall of 2010 where he will study music composition with Nancy Galbraith. Be on the lookout in the near future for more great music to come out of this talented individual!

Encantada (meaning "enchanted" in Spanish) might be considered the child of my new Concerto for Vibraphone. The harmonic material in the opening bars of the solo are taken from the 1st movement of the concerto while the title of the piece is taken from the 2nd movement, "Enchanted Light' (or "La Luz Encantada"). As I mentioned in an earlier post about the concerto, much of the repertoire for vibraphone is jazz-influenced because of the instrument's history (see Lionel Hampton & Milt Jackson for examples). This definitely extends to the solo repertoire, so I sought to create more of a concert piece. This was the result:

Look inside

Encantada

listen

Encantada

The piece will be available from C. Alan Publications and all of your favorite music dealers (i.e. Steve Weiss Music & Lone Star Percussion) this summer.

ND with OHS director Stephanie Silosky

I'm in Oswego, IL – a village of 29,000 people just an hour drive from Chicago – where my new piece Imagining World is being premiered tonight by the Oswego High School Wind Ensemble, directed by Stephanie Silosky. Fortunately, the misadventures on the trip do not at all involve the performing group. This band is really fantastic and are playing the heck out of all the music on their program. No, my misadventures are the result of several moments of absent-mindedness on my part, starting with my travel day yesterday.

1) On the other two parts of my trip (Norman, OK and Pittsburgh, PA) I'll be performing David Gillingham's 2nd marimba concerto which requires the soloist to play with two contrabass bows, so I brought mine with me in a cardboard tube a little longer than 1 yard. For each leg of my various flights, I'm throwing the tube in the overhead bin. After checking in for my flight at RDU, I was almost to the security checkpoint when I realized that I was missing an item. Yep, the tube was leaning against the ticket counter waiting for me.

2) Arrived in Philly where I had a short layover, but was going to be on the same plane. I assumed that I would re-board this plane at the same gate. I went and used the facilities, got back to the gate and realized I had once again left the tube behind, this time at the gate. 

3) I was just sitting there at the gate, which was eerily empty except for the gate attendant. I asked when we would be boarding for Chicago. He asked "You mean for Boston?" Nope. Chicago. Just got off the plane and they told me we would be re-boarding here. He informed me that they were boarding that flight several gates down around the corner and they were doing so now. Nearly missed my second flight altogether.

4) Arrived in Chicago where my mind was immediately on going to pick up my rental car. Waited 20 minutes for the shuttle to take me to Thrifty. We were heading out of the airport when horror came over me. Here's generally how that conversation went:

Me [frantically]: Can you please let me off?!
Driver: Yes, of course. What's the problem?
Me: I left my suitcase behind.
Driver: Where, on the sidewalk outside the shuttle?
Me: Nope, I never picked it up from baggage claim! 

The suitcase was sitting there smiling at me at the USAir baggage office in Terminal 2.

5) Finally, this morning I was thinking ahead to tomorrow when I'll be flying from Chicago to Oklahoma City. Checked online to see which terminal I needed to go to at O'Hare for Frontier Airlines. Not found. But there are some Frontier gates at Midway Airport. Yeah, that's right. I got a rental car from O'Hare that also need to be returned to O'Hare without realizing that I was flying out of Midway. Fortunately, Thrifty is letting me return the car to Midway with no penalty fee.

That's all for now. I'm hoping tomorrow is a smoother day of travel. For now, the tube is with me, I have a place to take the rental car, and I have many people I'm looking forward to seeing and hanging out with in Oklahoma over the weekend. 

The result was A New Hope – a 5-minute piece  reflecting nostalgia, happiness, & hope. Piano provides the instrumental basis for the piece. Jessica will be playing flute in 6th grade band in the fall, so I of course merged the piano melodies with flute as the piece progressed. Here's the recording followed by the instrumentation:

listen

A New Hope (electronic realization)

Instrumentation

Piano 4-hands
Flute
Electric Bass
Percussion 1 (Bells, Ocean Drum)
Percussion 2 (Suspended Cymbal, Egg Shaker, Bell Tree, Mark Tree)
Percussion 3 (Concert Bass Drum, Claves)
Drum Set
Violin 1
Violin 2
Viola
Cello
Bass

1. I like to list all performances of my pieces on my website calendar and link to the performing ensemble whenever possible.
2. There are often recordings that come out of these performances and you never know when you're going to come across a replacement demo recording for a piece.
3. There is often the possibility that I could come to the performance.
4. My livelihood...

A portion of my income is determined by reporting performances of my pieces to my performance rights organization, ASCAP (American Society of Composer, Authors, & Publishers). In order for a performance to count toward performance royalty distribution, I (or the performing individual/ensemble) need to send in a concert program. I have just made that process much simpler for all of you directors out there. At the far right of the top navigation bar, there is a link that says send your programs.

That link takes you here...

Just fill out the information, find the file (Microsoft Word or PDF) on your hard drive, and upload! You can actually use this form to upload mp3 recordings as well.

Thanks in advance for helping me out!

Imagining World by Brian Andreas
In my dream, the angel shrugged & said,
if we fail this time, it will be a failure of imagination
& then she placed the world gently in the palm of my hand.

I love the idea of our loved ones returning as angels to watch over us in our dreams and encouraging imagination as we look toward the future. Having lost my mother a couple of years ago, I like to think that she is keeping tabs on me. In order to grow, looking to & planning for the future is a pivotal part of looking back & celebrating the past. 

Much of the thematic material for the piece is derived from the final melodic phrase of the OHS school song (also the Notre Dame Victory March). The work opens with the sparkling (& dreamy) qualities of wind chimes and metallic keyboard percussion presenting fragments of this melodic material, the "Oswego" theme, which appears throughout the piece in several forms. A trumpet and horn fanfare follows leading to a full ensemble climax before moving into the main body of the piece. Directly following the climax is the first statement of the "Dream" theme played by solo flute. It undergoes several transformations & moods and intermingles with the "Oswego" theme as the piece progresses. Imagining World strikes a delicate balance between reflection and celebration – a challenge that we must all embrace.

Listen to a recording here...

Imagining World (MIDI realization)

Imagining World will receive its premiere on May 20, 2010 by the Oswego High School Wind Ensemble, Stephanie Silosky conducting, with the composer in attendance.

About Beth Sharp...
Elizabeth May Sharp, the oldest of five children who all participated in the Oswego band program, was a piano player first, a clarinet player second, having started in fifth grade band under the direction of Margene Pappas, and a doctor finally.  Her vocation was that of medicine and her avocation that of music.  Beth went through the band program in Oswego IL and while in high school band, under the direction of James Felts, she attended IMEA All-State her junior and senior year on Eb Contra Alto Clarinet.  She studied privately with Margene Pappas until she graduated from high school.  She also had the opportunity to travel abroad after her senior year in high school performing in band.  She attended the University of Illinois and played bass clarinet in the top Symphonic Band under the direction of Harry Begian from her freshman to her senior year in college. 

When Beth went to Texas to study medicine she continued to play in community bands and orchestras as she loved MUSIC.  Beth's life was cut short when she contracted a disease that led to her death.  Her friends and family, shocked by her courage to fight the disease alone until the last few months of her life (Beth was a fighter!), established a scholarship in her name to be given to the most outstanding boy and girl musician from the Oswego High School Band.  The award recipients were chosen by the band director and were expected to be outstanding musicians, keep their academic standards high, and have the motivation to continue their musical participation in college and beyond either as a music major or by participating in college and community ensembles.  The scholarship was a $500 award and given each year until 2006, the year in which Margene Pappas retired from the band program in Oswego.  The remaining money, having lost ground from the original investment due to a faltering economy was intended to be used to foster commissions for band for the Oswego High School band program.

(*Disclaimer: There will be many links in this entry, as I do want to share as much of Brian's related work as possible.)

Sometime during my undergrad (um-teen years ago-ish), I became aware of the works of artist and storyteller Brian Andreas. He creates StoryPeople (http://www.storypeople.com) – sculptures made of found objects, such as wood and wire – covers them with vividly colored paint, and prints short little quirky, poignant & inciteful stories about life, love and the general pursiot of happiness & goodness. These stories are also available as colorful prints, furniture, books, postcards, and wherever else your imagination might take you. Scanning the walls of my home, you might discover five or six of these prints sprinkled about creating an air of whimsy.

When I first started composing during grad school, I was constantly in search of new forms of inspiration. I was about to start writing a duet for alto saxophone and marimba to enter in a composition contest (which I subsequently lost) and decided to turn to a couple of books of Brian's stories. The name of one of these books was "Strange Dreams" which immediately struck me as the perfect title for a collection of these 4 little vignettes for sax & marimba. Then I read the corresponding story to the title (above) and immediately thought it captured how I wanted people to perceive my music. I mean of course I want them to remember it, but capturing their attention so they are living 100% in the moment for at least the duration of the composition.

The stories I chose for each of the four movements were Unheard Music, Ballerina Mom, Mermaid Song, and Pools of Light. I encourage you to follow these links to read each of these stories. The RoseWind Duo (University of South Carolina professors Clifford Leaman, alto saxophone and Scott Herring, marimba) recently released a fantastic recording of the piece on the Equilibrium label and it is available on iTunes.

I have since returned to Brian's stories as the source of inspiration for two more of my compositions. One was a duet for marimba and vibraphone titled Edge of the World, which I gave as a wedding gift to two of my former students and now friends, Michael & Sara Wood. It is based on the story True Things ("They came to sit & dangle their feet off the edge of the world & after awhile they forgot everything but the good & true things they would do someday."). The other is a duet for piano and marimba titled Almost Beyond ("She laid on my chest & her breathing filled me to almost beyond what I could hold.")and commissioned by another husband/wife duo, Una Duo.

Something tells me this will not be the last time I use Brian Andreas and his writings as my muse, so stay tuned. I'm pretty excited about a future collaboration with him, but more on that when it actually comes to fruition. In the meantime, I highly recommend following him on Twitter (@briandandreas). Every time he tweets, another one of his little stories flows right on out of him, usually in the same vain as his StoryPeople, but if you're lucky, occasionally you catch a much edgier Brian Andreas giving him even more depth. I've been fortunate enough to become long-distance friends with him as a result of the mutual admiration of our respective artistic offerings.

Summary of Places to Find Brian:
StoryPeople website: http://www.storypeople.com
Zen Bandit (his personal blog site that hasn't been updated for a while): http://www.zenbandit.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/brianandreas