Journey!
(For Wind Ensemble)
Composed in: January 2023
Grade: 5
Duration: 5’ 58”
Instrumentation:
1 - Piccolo
2 - Flute 1
2 - Flute 2
2 - Oboe 1, 2
3 - Clarinet in B♭1
3 - Clarinet in B♭2
3 - Clarinet in B♭3
1 - Bass Clarinet in B♭
2 - Bassoon 1, 2
2 - Alto Saxophone in E♭1, 2
2 - Tenor Saxophone in B♭1, 2
1 - Baritone Saxophone in E♭
2 - Trumpet in B♭1
2 - Trumpet in B♭2
2 - Trumpet in B♭3
2 - Horn in F 1, 2
2 - Horn in F 3, 4
2 - Trombone 1
2 - Trombone 2
2 - Trombone 3
1 - Bass Trombone
2 - Euphonium
4 - Tuba
1 - Timpani
1 - Percussion 1
1 - Percussion 2
1 - Percussion 3
1 - Percussion 4
1 - Percussion 5
Program notes:
“Journey!” first started in late 2020 as a string orchestra piece, the first piece I would ever compose. I had sent it to my orchestra teacher (Ms. Michele Senger) since this was the first string orchestra piece and I wanted to see if I could get any comments on what I could improve on my composition skills. She ended up liking the piece and recommended that it be played at her last concert before retirement. So on May 18th, 2021 “Journey! (for string orchestra)” premiered by the Valley Southwoods Freshman High School String Orchestra in West Des Moines, IA.
About a year later, I decided to redesign and expand the piece from a string orchestra to a large symphonic orchestra adaptation. But then I was made aware of The Barbara Buehlman Prize for Composition by The Midwest Clinic, that’s when I decided to convert what I had started to become what it is today, a wind ensemble adaptation.
Unfortunately, the piece was not selected as the 2023 Barbara Buehlman Prize for Composition winner (Congrats to Matthew Nell for his piece entitled “Strut” selected). But instead of just throwing the piece away, I decided to take the opportunity to edit and expand some of the melodies, polish and fix what certain parts looked like, and tweak some of the rhythms to be more complex, yet something that would be fun and interesting.