A musical expedition through the Rocky Mountains with a Grade 4–5 Concert Band suite, where character pieces artfully represent the flora, fauna, and landscapes of the region.

Who Am I?

I am a recovering academic with over fifteen years experience teaching music at the collegiate level. I completed my bachelors in music at Colorado Christian University, my masters in music theory and composition at the University of Northern Colorado, and my doctorate of musical arts at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. I have taught a wide variety of music related classes in Colorado, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania.

As a Colorado native I grew up hiking the Rocky Mountains with my grandfather. I married an Albertan and we honeymooned in one of the Rocky Mountains most glorious national parks (and it even crosses the US–Canada border between Albert and Montana), Glacier National Park. On the Canadian side it’s called Waterton Lakes National Park.

I love the mountains. From hiking, to skiing, to camping. Just seeing them fills me with joy.

I currently live in Lincoln, NE (I know! There’s no mountains here.). Besides composing music, I travel the country speaking & training, I coach individuals & groups, and I serve a church as the Director of Worship. I am Composer-in-Residence for the Lincoln Community Concert Band.

What Is This All About?

As Composer-in-Residence for the Lincoln Community Concert Band, the directors, Lance Nielson and Mike Murphy, asked me to consider writing some music based on the photography of one of the community band’s members.

I love working with many types of media and got very excited by the idea! I know that I wanted the project to focus on a few things:

The composition should be a suite of character pieces inspired by the images.
The movements would be short, colorful, and fun to play.
The entire suite will be a grade 5 work though some movements will be in the grade 4 range.

Most important of all, I wanted to entire suite to give honor to the mountains that I know and love, the Rocky Mountains. The Rocky Mountains stretch from Northern New Mexico through Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Alberta, and British Columbia. And I, personally, have spent time admiring the Rockies in each of these states and provinces.

To that end, high schools, colleges, and universities in those areas are specifically invited to join the consortium. This work is a celebration of one of the most dominant geographic features of the continent. I want to join you and your students as we create music and display images that celebrate the beauty and wonder of the flora, fauna, and geography of the Rocky Mountains. Overall, the entire suite will be in the Grade 5 range. Some individual movements will be in the Grade 4 range.

JOIN THE CONSORTIUM NOW!!!

What Is The Timeline?

The score and parts will be delivered no later than February 1, 2025.

Consortium membership will remain open until shortly before score delivery. However, several of consortium membership perks will go away after August 2024.

If you plan on programming the piece a spring 2025 concert and want me to Zoom into a rehearsal, or visit your ensemble in person, those dates should be solidified no later than September 2024.

What You Get Out of Joining the Consortium

The opportunity to bring a new work to life.

Believe it or not, most ensembles—and by asssociation most students—never have the chance to participate in a premiere of a new work. In addition, your name and the name of your ensemble/school will be listed in the score. Overall, the entire suite will be in the Grade 5 range. Some individual movements will be in the Grade 4 range.

Increased student engagement.

Students love participating in the process of creation and making something new. Without fail every school I’ve ever worked with has reported that student engagement and participation in the ensemble has increased.

The option to perform the entire suite or any particular movement.

Each movement can be treated as a stand-a-lone work. This gives you massive flexibility in your programming. In fact, you can perform any number of the movements based on the needs of your concert.

The opportunity to have your students work with a living composer.

When I was a student we never performed music by living composers. At least, we never discussed they were living even if they were! More than that, we never had the opportunity to talk with a composer about their process and work with a composer to bring their music to life. Give your students the chance to grow.

Bring a creativity workshop into your classroom.

I regularly teach composition workshops for students. Your students will get a deeper understanding of some basic music theory and have the chance to composer—and perform!—some original compositions of their own.

A full set of PDFs of the score and parts.

On the delivery date you will receive PDF copies of the score and parts. This will allow you instant access to the music once it’s available and to print the parts you need for your ensemble.

A full set of the images that inspired the movements as stills and video.

A slide show and video of the images that inspired the music will be made available. You can use these as projections during your concert or printed in your program.

A demo recording and rehearsal tracks for your students including Music XML files for use in any practice software you use.

I will create a MIDI demo of the music for your personal study and rehearsal. You can also use it to inspire your students. For those teachers that use practice software, Music XML files will be provided for you to use in your classroom.

A FREE copy of The Admiral Bryce March, a Grade 2.5, moderately-quick march in 6/8 with flexible instrumentation.

Feel free to use this flex work with your younger ensembles or as a warm-up piece for your advanced groups.

Discounted access both in person and over Zoom.

Consortium members have the opportunity to bring me in for Zoom rehearsals, in-person workshops and rehearsals, or to guest conduct at a discounted rate.

The opportunity to purchase another score from my catalog at a significant discount.

Consortium members can purchase any score and parts from the list below for only $55. These will be delivered as PDFs. On JW Pepper they range from $75–125.

Where do the images come from?

All images were taken by retired middle school band director, and member of the Lincoln Community Concert Band, Karen Harris. Karen and her husband travel the world documenting the beauty and wonder all around. With a deep love for mountains, Karen and her husband have a cabin in the Colorado rockies and have explored many areas of the entire Rocky Mountain stretch. Here are some of her Rocky Mountain images!

JOIN THE CONSORTIUM NOW!!!

Consortium Details

Buy In—$250
- Delivery Date—February 1, 2025
- What You Get:
  - A full set of PDFs of the score and parts.
  - A full set of the images that inspired the movements.
  - A video of the images. Either the still images or the video can be used for projection during your performance.
  - DEMO MP3 and Rehearsal Tracks for your group including Music XML files.
  - A PDF copy of the score and parts for The Admiral Bryce March.
    - The Admiral Bryce March is a Grade 2.5, moderately-quick march in 6/8 with flexible instrumentation. Perfect for younger groups in your school or as a warm-up or sight-reading piece for your more advanced groups.
  - You support the creation and performance of music for kids battling critical conditions.
    - The Colorado-based non-profit Chase the Music works with composers and performers across the nation to create life-changing experiences and incredible memories for children and families. Personally, I have composed to pieces through Chase the Music. One of the pieces, Ataraxia, was written and performed in collaboration with Stanley Lake High School in Colorado. A portion of the consortium fees will be donated to Chase the Music.

The Admiral Bryce March (MIDI Demo)

Additional Options for Consortium Members
- Zoom Rehearsal—$50
  - I will Zoom into your rehearsal to meet your students, answer questions, and help in preparing your performance of the new work. My standard rate for Zoom rehearsals is $100/hr. Consortium members can have one 50% off.
- Additional Score of Your Choice—$55
  - When you join the consortium, you can choose ONE score from my catalog (limited titles, the list is available below) at the time of joining. Typical score and parts sets range from $75–125. I will email you for your selection.
- Creativity/Composition Workshop for Your Students—$125
  - I will hold a creativity/composition workshop for your students to help you meet your personal, state, and national creativity standards. Your students will create an original composition, will learn some music theory, and will have a greater understanding of how music works and is composed. Normal cost for the workshop is $250.
- In-Person Rehearsal/Clinic/Talk—$500/day
  - I will come to your classroom, school, college, or university to participate in a rehearsal, hold a creativity workshop or composition masterclass, or talk to your students about careers, mindset, or motivation. Rate is per day. You will also need to cover travel & hotel expenses.