About “Spark and Fire” four essays for wind ensemble
In today's fast-paced world, anxiety has become a common human response that is further amplified by the connectivity of social media. Dealing with anxiety is often uncomfortable, but it is a genuine part of how we all experience the world. In fact, we even have popular apps on our smartphones that remind us to breathe. As a composer, I wanted to explore this topic and created a musical composition called "Spark and Fire," which is a series of four musical essays on anxiety.
The composition is written for wind ensemble and is divided into four movements. The first movement, "Spark and Fire," opens with several loud explosions, as if someone has struck a match and set fire to a little bit of doubt. This movement captures the internal struggles we all feel with stress-induced self-doubt. There are two-spaced snare drum set-ups that act as the catalyst for the reactions of the entire ensemble, adding a sense of intrusive and intentional poking and prodding.
The second movement, "Only Time Will Tell," focuses on the questions we send into the void that our world can only answer with time. We all feel the weight of the world on our shoulders at times, especially in the early 21st century. When I lay awake at night and wonder if the way I live now will allow future generations the opportunity for a sustainable relationship with this earth and access to basic necessities like food and water, I know that I will not have an answer for decades. This movement reflects on the questions we ask that only future generations can answer.
The third movement, "Dance Ambiguous," captures the political/national schadenfreude specific to our current era. We are living through a very tumultuous period in world history, and we all live in the balance of this dance of opposing powers that seem unwilling to compromise.
The final movement, "Rise, and Guide this World," takes a different approach to anxiety. It is about the anticipation of what good may come. I look to the future generations coming of age, including my children, and see incredible potential and bravery. I anxiously anticipate rounding the corner to the evolution of the world that can embrace the change for good that we desperately need.
"Spark & Fire" is a musical exploration of anxiety, which is a genuine part of the human experience. Through this composition, I hope to inspire others to embrace their anxiety, to ask the tough questions, and to anxiously anticipate the future. It is only by embracing our anxiety that we can learn to live with it and put it to work towards a better tomorrow.
The creation of this work was supported by:
Dr. James Colonna & The Messiah University Wind Ensemble
Dr. Jonathan Helmick & The Slippery Rock University Symphonic Wind Ensemble
Mr. Chad Thompson & The Bethel Park High School Symphonic Band
My gratitude to these wonderful people for their support and affording me the opportunity to create.
The piece can be purchased at www.murphymusicpress.com.
The cover features art by an incredible artist and friend, Pyro Lugo-Allen.
Special “thank you!” to Cheldon Williams & Timothy Shade for their willingness to be a sounding board for this particular piece. Both have been terrific friends and incredibly creative colleagues. I so appreciate their valuable insight.
