Color and Wind Ensemble Music

When I think back to the music I played in high school concert band I think about straight-forward harmonic progressions and lyrical melodies.  I cannot recall any music we performed that focused on texture and timbre.  Of course the composers select the instrumentation with a particular sound in mind.  However, melody and harmony were still the focus points of the music.

In composing Time in Memoriam I am attempting to bring forward the elements of color: texture and timbre.  In doing so I hope to challenge the performers and add my own voice to the repertoire.  The color elements will be the main focus in the first and last sections of the piece.  I do have melodies and themes that I will include in this piece.  Also, the B section is still going to be rhythmically and thematically driven as I have indicated in the past.

I do need to keep in mind the level of the performers for this piece.  As I compose these sections I need to make sure that there are aspects of the music that the performers can understand.  Often when working with younger performers they become focused on playing the right notes and aspects like balance and the entirety of the ensemble become forgotten, especially in abstract music.  With that said, creating themes and textures that the performers can latch on to is important.  This helps the understanding which in turn allows for a better performance.

This will be a challenge for me as I compose these sections.  I have a tendency to think that the performers will understand what I am trying to convey without much direction.  Younger and less experienced performers can understand this type of music with clear directions.  I do believe that this stylistic choice can be successful if composed properly.