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Commissioned by Melodie Schamp and Rose Perkins, and the 2022 Combined North Fifth Grade Bands
A dramatic piece that will highlights young band students' abilities. This piece lights up with bold melodic statements and unexpected harmonic twists.
March 2020
Matthew Whitney, Rose Perkins, Melodie Shamp, Heather Hoefle, Katye Clogg, Kevin Horne
Commissioned by Melodie Schamp and Rose Perkins, and the 2020 Combined South Fifth Grade Bands
The first movement in the "Water Tales" suite, this lyrical work is a beautiful depiction of a sea turtle departing the beach. This piece is a great opportunity for students to work on slurs and phrasing while they learn about these amazing endangered water creatures. This turned into the first installment of a marine-based suite.
Audience Video -entire video can be screened at future performances via Ion Concert Media
Commissioned by Melodie Schamp and Rose Perkins, and the 2018 Combined North Fifth Grade Bands
Originally titled The Great Pennsylvania Special, this piece harnesses the energy of a high-speed locomotive race. This musical tale of a historic train race includes driving rhythms and train-like sonorities that evoke images of a powerful locomotive, spewing smoke, as it barrels down the track to the steady pulse of its wheels on the tracks.
Commissioned by Melodie Schamp and Rose Perkins, and the 2016 Combined South Fifth Grade Bands
The traditional folk tune The Cumberland's Crew was inspired by the historic naval battle between the wooden U.S.S. Cumberland and the ironclad C.S.S. Virginia in 1862. The light and airy melody in 3/4 time is treated to a variety of textures and voicings as it builds to a dramatic conclusion.
Commissioned by Melodie Schamp and Rose Perkins, and the 2014 Combined North Fifth Grade Bands
The traditional folk tune The Cumberland's Crew was inspired by the historic naval battle between the wooden U.S.S. Cumberland and the ironclad C.S.S. Virginia in 1862. The light and airy melody in 3/4 time is treated to a variety of textures and voicings as it builds to a dramatic conclusion.
Commissioned by Melodie Schamp and Rose Perkins, and the 2014 Combined South Fifth Grade Bands
Inspired by the quote that truly great things are done "when men and mountains meet," this work portrays the immense effort and determination it took to build a mountain community, blasting walls of rock and moving great masses of earth. Opening with man's first intimidating encounter with the mountain, it then builds with a faster, insistent theme as the area is settled and developed.
Commissioned by Melodie Schamp and Rose Perkins, and the 2010 Combined North Fifth Grade Bands
A vicious battle between medieval warriors unfolds in this programmatic work for developing bands. This great teaching piece includes active rhythms balanced with minor tonality and dynamic as well as articulation contrasts combined with a three-voice fugue.
Commissioned by Melodie Schamp and Katye Clogg, and the 2004 Combined South Fifth Grade Bands
This fantastic work conjures up images of an ancient tribal gathering. The opening's mysterious Incantation uses a soft, chant-like melody with slight intrusions by the percussion, foreshadowing the intense ritual to follow. As the opening builds, the driving beat of the ritual takes over with great fire. Percussion infuses this work with relentless energy as the piece draws to a powerful conclusion.
Notable Achievements: Listed in Volume 1 of Teaching Music Through Performance in Beginning Band (GIA Music), Recorded by the North Texas Wind Symphony. Listed as a JW Pepper Editors' Choice, JW Pepper Basic Library.