I wrote this piece in grad school while studying for my MM in music composition. Mid aughts, probably 2006.
This piece is a celebration of the horn and trumpets. The horn is one of my favorites of the brass choir to write for. I love the range, the sound, and the tone. I actually played trumpet very briefly in middle school before switching to drums/percussion so I also have a soft spot for it (even though I find it sometimes too piercing and loud).
This was first performed at my graduate recital in 2007. One of the trumpet players struggled with the piece but they all did an okay job. The horn and tuba players were top notch and nailed their parts. Trombone did well too but that part isn’t super demanding. I really love when orchestral instruments aren’t doubled, tripled, or more—so you can hear the individual player on their musical journey. In my opinion, there aren’t nearly enough opportunities for small ensemble playing.
A funny moment during rehearsal was when they all played together for the first time and hit one of the big ugly chords—several players winced like someone was playing the wrong note or an alien was popping out of someone’s chest. I gave them words of encouragement and told them it was supposed to be a big-ugly-loud-chord and started waving my arms like a lunatic. I guess I’m the very best hype-man. 😎
Anyway, I love this piece. Someday I hope to make it into a trilogy.
In the Key of K 
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