2019 UPDATES

If you've been following my two blog series on Four Ethereal Planes and Summertime Echoes, then you probably already know how busy this year has been for me. But, all of it has been so good and so wonderful, every step of the way. The most rewarding aspect of every single note of music I've written this year has been the fruitful and artistically engaging collaborative processes I've shared with the artists that I'm working with. This year is no exception, with still more to come.

Four Ethereal Planes received its world premiere last October in Holland, Michigan as part of a collaborative concert between the Millennium Composers Initiative and the Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra. The program also featured new works by three additional fantastic composers and colleagues - Kevin Day, Chris Evan Hass, and Janay Maisano (HCJO was also co-founded by another MCI composer - Dr. Jordan VanHemert, Assistant Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies at Hope College).

The concert was fantastic in all regards. The representation of up-and-coming composers on the program was extraordinary, and all of the music from my colleagues on the program was wonderful (seriously, go check these artists out). HCJO brought their absolute best that night for every piece on the program, including for my suite (which I also was given the opportunity to conduct - my first-ever professional experience conducting a major ensemble. Thank you Jordan for this incredible opportunity as well!!!).

Photo Credit: Janay Maisano

L to R: Kevin Day, me, Chris Evan Hass, Janay Maisano

during the premiere of "Four Ethereal Planes"

I also have to hand it to Kevin, who I also wrote this suite for and who completely let loose for this premiere on all three keyboards in his arsenal (piano, synth, and Hammond Organ). My God, the man can play - he's equally gifted and brilliant as a jazz artist as much as he is a composer.
See for yourself in the video on the left of this suite's official world premiere. The piece is now available to buy and perform, so go check it out!

So what's next on the docket? A few works to finish, some traveling to do, and the occasional gig here and there. Right now, I'm gearing up for the world premiere of Summertime Echoes, my brand-new concerto for soprano saxophone and wind ensemble that will be receiving its world premiere later this November. This piece was written for Dr. Jordan VanHemert, and he'll be premiering the full work with Dr. Gabe Southard and the Hope College Wind Ensemble.
Jordan has been absolutely wonderful to work with this year, on this concerto and with Four Ethereal Planes. Another aspect I enjoy regarding the collaborative process with performers and artists is the different perspectives and ideas they bring to the table during the compositional process. Not only has Jordan brought that, but he also brings a strong educational component that has allowed for an even greater amount of possibilities to explore with this work. This allows for the music to become something different, perhaps even greater, than its first incarnation. I think this component makes the final version of the work better as a whole. I find it especially necessary and vital when working on a concerto and with your soloist - that brings a greater degree of collaboration to the table that I think is absolutely needed.

You can hear a preview of the concerto's three movements on the left. Jordan and I are still looking for a few ensembles to join our consortium - the details can be found here.

Summertime Echoes will also be receiving a few additional performances throughout 2020 - more news on this soon.

After this trip, I'll be returning to this year's Midwest Clinic conference in Chicago with MCI!! 10 of the 37 members in the initiative will be in attendance - I think it's the largest gathering for this initiative EVER. Not only that, but TWO of my pieces are going to be featured at the conference's New Music Reading Sessions - Nature's Light for orchestra and The Dance That Never Was for Jazz Ensemble. The latter is one of the four tunes that comprise the suite Four Ethereal Planes.

There is a third work that will be featured for the jazz reading session as well. Kevin's piece on the MCI-HCJO concert was a chart he wrote a few years back called Windy City, which essentially represents his first experience attending Midwest Clinic and visiting Chicago (a VASTLY different environment from his home state of Texas). Kevin graciously gave me permission to arrange the tune for big band, an opportunity that I thoroughly enjoyed and leading to an arrangement I had a lot of fun creating. I'm thankful to Kevin for trusting me with his chart, as well as to Midwest Clinic for featuring the work on their reading session this year. Kevin should have the tune available soon.

Two other gigs I recently completed: first, an original score for a powerful short film directed by Natalie J. Harris called Uma fruta estranha. The film is, in Natalie's words, "a visual poem exploring the glue that binds Afro-Brazilians to African-Americans." The instrumentation featured for this score includes a saxophone quintet (bass saxophone included!!), a guitar, and a synth pad.

Uma Fruta Estranha from Natalie J. Harris on Vimeo.

The second was an orchestrating job for Thiago Tiberio and his company Tiberio Music Design & Publishing LLC. The music we prepared was for a project entitled America's Wonders that showcased various important landmarks and scenic locales throughout the country. The film premiered with the music played live-to-picture - it was also apparently the FIRST EVER live-to-3D-film concert experience created as well (that's right - this project was for a 3D film!!). It was an incredible opportunity and an even greater learning experience for me.

In the midst of all of this, I'm currently working on three chamber commissions - a tenor saxophone and piano duet commissioned by Ben MacDonald & Matthew Hartson; a brass quintet for 5KBrass; and a mixed-ensemble work with text for Ember Septet, a group based in the Twin Cities area.

2019 has challenged me far more than I even anticipated. Strangely enough, it makes me more excited for 2020, because I'm not sure where life is going to take me next. I think that makes it all the more thrilling to experience.