Tuba and Piano

with Piano

In the style of Pugnani

with Piano

3 Movements

with Piano

In the keys of Eb major and C minor, which are very friendly to the BBb Tuba, this is a fun piece for an emerging tuba player.  It was written for a 6th grade tuba student who is also a very good basketball player and also loves riding horses in rodeos.  She does everything with "Intensity" thus the title.

with Piano

This work was commissioned by Timothy Northcut in honor of Winston Morris, professor of tuba and euphonium at Tennessee Tech University since 1967. Among many others, his former students—both Tim and I included—call him a mentor, friend, and genuine hero to the tuba-euphonium world. Anyone who’s met Winston knows that he’s a larger-than-life character, and our goal was to capture a snapshot of that character within the piece.

The first movement, RWM, is constructed from a rhythmic motive that forms the basis of the entire work: 1/4 note followed by 4 1/8 notes

This motive, based on the name ‘R. Winston Morris’, becomes the driving force throughout the work, acting as a musical anchor point. The entrance of the solo tuba introduces the main musical theme that goes on to form much of the melodic material. Conceptually, the first movement represents a day in September of 1967 as Morris began his career at Tennessee Tech University. Beginning with a gentle, noble theme, the mood quickly builds and shifts into an energetic and sometimes whimsical whirlwind. The end of the movement relentlessly hammers out the motive—a tribute to Winston’s unrelenting musical drive. This abruptly shifts with the final note, moving seamlessly into the second movement.

The second movement, Sweet Steel, is dedicated in loving memory to Barbara “Bobbie” Morris. Although the tone is very dark and brooding, it’s ultimately a love song by the soloist, journeying through the stages of grief. From the darkness a second theme, hopeful and uplifting, rises to a heartfelt climax.

The final movement, Cookevegas, is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Cookeville, TN, home of Winston and Tennessee Tech University. His love of jazz is a major influence on this hectic, jazzy trip through the small Southern city. A return of the driving ‘RWM’ motive from the first movement brings the concerto to its finale.

Recording is from the premiere with the U.S. Army Band:

https://www.usarmyband.com/tuba/index.html

with Piano

While the piece is in three movements (fast-slow-fast), calling it “traditional” does not seem entirely appropriate. Rather, it adapts received forms and structures with a more adventurous harmonic approach and a greater use of dissonance in individual lines.

with Piano

commissioned by Sérgio Carolino

with Piano

This suite contains four movements that describe the special characteristics of a year’s four seasons. After reading poetry about nature and the changing seasons, the composer brought the poems to life through her music.

I. Autumn: The long and lyrical melody played by the soloist is accompanied by a repeated pattern from the piano. This symbolizes the dropping and rustling of the leaves from the wind in autumn. 

II. Winter: The intense and fast passages, played by both the soloist and pianist, depict a fierce wind sweeping in the cold winter.

III. Spring: A warm, relaxing melody on top of a pastoral rhythmic pattern proclaims a new season is arriving. In the middle section of this movement, both players imitate singing birds. Although the melody is soft and warm, we can hear contrasting emotional changes that reflect the unstable weather in spring time. 

IV. Summer: Passion, energy, and activity are all prevalent in summer. The composer uses a tango style to portray these concepts. The second main melody gives the image of a fireworks show in the summer night.  

with Piano and for Bass or Contra Tuba:

The winner of the 2017 Pershing’s Own U.S. Army Band Composition Competition, Sonata for Tuba “Hades God of the Underworld” was inspired by a friend’s request to “write something low” for tuba. Instead of utilizing the lower tessitura of the instrument as one would expect, I warped this idea of lowness by using Hades the Greek God of the underworld as the basis for this programmatic work, with the idea that this underworld is the lowest imaginable realm. A stylistic change and a new aspect of Hades characterizes each movement. The first movement “Hades Rising” depicts the Greek God emerging from the underworld to wreak havoc. The second movement “The Unseen One” is one of a few translations of “Hades” and contains a simple, yet beautiful melody in the solo line. The third movement “Dance of the Dead” is creates a twisted, ominous atmosphere heavily inspired by Franz Schubert’s Erlkönig. The final movement “Wrath of Hades” displays the catastrophic capabilities of the God by showcasing both the soloist and pianist in an aggressive finale.