Grades 9-12 2024/25

A harmonic trio between a piano, trumpet, and tenor sax. The piece starts with a soft piano over the trumpet and the tenor bouncing a major melody between them. It is an inspiring tune, as the chords grow warmly throughout the piece. The name petrichor means the smell of rain, and this song will emphasize the beauty of that smell and the feeling that comes after a heavy rainstorm. 

This is a piece I mostly composed on my guitar, and made a version of it to work for Opus 39.

The chorus consists of a C Major, 4/4 classic arpeggio of a Csus2 chord, the melody revolves around a seventh. As for the verse, a rhythm played by the left hand on piano supports a treble low range part that rises to a medium every other measure, and has a minor turn at one point. The pre-chorus entails a 2 3 4 5 progression a build up, and leads back into the chorus.

This piece inspired by the idea of letting your train of thought run free, as when I was writing this piece I didn't have any semblance of a plan from the beginning, and I just let the ideas come to me as I wrote.

A second idea. I think I could evolve it and tie it in with #1's motifs.

This piece is the feeling of taking a deep breath after you haven't been able to breathe, about feeling a breeze on your face after days of oppressive summer heat. It uses voice to create full, bursting harmonies from just a wisp of melody and only voice and body percussion to create the fullest sound possible.

This is a piece for SATB choir and brass, both of which are a less familiar medium than strings for me. The inspiration for this piece was Tony Diterlizzi's book, "The Search for Wondla" which is a vaguely post-apocalytpic world with unfamiliar larger-than-life creatures and fauna. As I've worked on it, it's become a piece that explores the relationship between traditional song and orchestra that often appears in film. 

This composition was based on a traditional African melody I heard my father play on the marimba. I was also inspired by the chord changes and melody to the song Impressions by John Coltrane. I combined both melodies with the chord changes to Impressions to create a colorful unique song with a groovy rhythm. Later in the song, the chords shift and change to outline the melody better.

Example brass quintet. An idea. #2 is slower(80, not 110), but I think I could incorporate some of #1's themes into #2. #2 is just a second idea. #3 is in a different direction, not as dark, but it keeps the chords. The tempo is also 80. Added a bunch to #2.

First real composition ever, I decided to branch out and write for instruments rather than voice. Very beginner, let me know how to improve!