In the Bottoms: Introduction and Juba Dance, for wind band
Instrumentation: wind band
Year Composed: 2022
Originally composed for piano by R. Nathaniel Dett. Arrangement commissioned by the Black Composer Revival Consortium
Premiered December 2022
Program Notes:
In the Bottoms was written originally for piano by Robert Nathaniel Dett in 1913. This five-movement suite is meant to depict “negro life in the river bottoms.” For this arrangement, I took the introduction from the first and second movements of the piece, “Prelude (Night)” and “His Song.” The “Juba Dance'' is the last movement of the piece.
According to Wikipedia, the juba dance is an “African-American style of dance that involves stomping as well as slapping and patting the arms, legs, chest, and cheeks.” Typically, the dancers would form a circle to keep the rhythm and a solo dancer could get in the middle. Percussion instruments were often not allowed to be used by the slaves for fear of secret communication, so body percussion took their place. In the piece, the ostinato accompaniment line would be the equivalent of the rhythmic stomping and patting or clapping that would have taken place in a juba dance circle, while the melody would be sung or played on a fiddle.
Quarantine(r) March, for wind band
Instrumentation: wind band
piccolo, flute, Eb clarinet, Bb clarinet 1-3, bass clarinet, alto saxophone 1-2, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, horn 1-3, trumpet 1-3, trombone 1-3, euphonium, tuba, percussion 1-3
Year Composed: 2020
Duration: 2’46”
Program Notes:
Quarantine(r) March is a march I wrote at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. The title gives a nod to the popular march “Florentiner March” by Julius Fucik. Originally written for a full wind band, this work explores the different moods that most people experienced surrounding the beginning of the pandemic. It conveys the early joy when things were first canceled, the boredom experienced after a few weeks in isolation, the frustration felt after realizing it was nowhere near over, and the inner-turmoil of trying to balance all of these emotions.
Camouflage, for wind ensemble
Instrumentation: wind ensemble
piccolo, flute 1-2, oboe 1-2, english horn, bassoon 1-2, contrabassoon, Eb clarinet, Bb clarinet 1-3, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, horn 1-4, trumpet 1-3, trombone 1-3, bass trombone, euphonium, tuba, double bass, harp, piano, timpani, percussion 1-4
Year Composed: 2020
Duration: 4’30”
Program Notes:
In Spring 2020, I was given a task for my final orchestration project to compose or arrange a work for wind band. After attempting to arrange something, assuming it was the easier task, I went on to compose an entirely new work. The work Camouflage is based on Herbie Hancock’s jazz fusion song “Chameleon.” The introduction clearly states the famous bass line of the song before going into thematic and motivic development throughout the rest of the piece. Each motive is derived in some way from the song, including to slow middle section, in essence “camouflaging” the source material to form an entirely new piece. While at times the themes and motives from “Chameleon” can be clearly heard, much of them are more subtle.