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Welcome to my website
I am a Canadian composer and music educator and this site features various works of mine. Whether you are a music educator, a professional musician or student, please check out my pieces for concert band, jazz band, and small ensembles.
For information on where to purchase a piece, follow the link to the publisher's website or contact me.
I hope you enjoy my music.
New Pieces for 2023
Exuberance is the perfect piece to introduce young performers to band music. Focusing on the first seven pitches introduced in most method books, this piece makes use of simple compositional techniques to help your band evolve from playing unison melodies into sounding like a mature band. Each section has melodic content at some point in the piece, giving each performer the opportunity to shine.
Ritual and Dance is a simple yet fun piece for young musicians. The opening measures create the dark, ritualistic feel of the piece with the rhythmic figure and open fifths being played by the ensemble. Strong melody and dynamic contrasts make this an excellent original work for beginning band.
Wings of Fortitude is a concert march that reflects that definition: courageous, brave, and having tenacity. A powerful trumpet melody is contrasted with a smoother theme in the woodwinds. The trio section features clarinets before the return of the trumpet melody punctuated with shot notes in all voices.
Over time, there have been many great discoveries: inventions, energies, cyberspace and new lands. This piece reflects the joys and excitement of making that discovery and enjoying its spoils. It opens using a variety of arpeggios in most of the instruments as a representation of the joyous announcement of the finding, as well as some melodic material introduced by the remaining instruments. Strong melodies and rhythmic drive make this an ideal choice for either contest or concert use.
New Band Pieces from 2022
The Burlington Teen Tour Band, described as Canada’s Musical Ambassadors, is a marching band which has performed all over the world. Recently the band celebrated its 75th anniversary and this piece was composed to celebrate the benchmark achievement. Set in three contrasting sections, this makes an ideal concert or contest selection. In the lyrical middle section there is a lush brass section moment and solos in flute and alto saxophone. Driving rhythms and memorable melodies gives all players exciting parts throughout.
Barricade is a fun, high energy piece that gives beginning students the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities as performers and to learn the elements of performing ensemble music. The style marking ‘With Aggression’ identifies that the piece is to be played with assertiveness throughout. Students will love the energy and excitement this piece has to offer. Driving rhythms, colorful percussion writing and melody in all voices (including the lowest ones!) will give everyone something fun and interesting to do.
This piece, influenced by the music of the Orient, was composed using a minor pentatonic scale and focusing on the first six notes learned in most method books. Following ABA form, this is a perfect opportunity for performers to learn about contrapuntal textures, dynamic contrasts and a variety of articulations, through playing simple, memorable themes. Every instrument in the ensemble gets the opportunity to shine at some point in the performance.
A Peaceful Journey is the perfect description of what this piece is all about: calming, simple, and enjoyable to perform and listen to. This selection was composed with the intention to introduce very beginning band musicians to lyrical music and help them develop tone control and air support.
The term celestial has many different meanings: relating to the sky, space, the heavens, or just something simply that is really good. All of these things can be used to describe what is brought out by the performance of this piece. This theme goes through a number of transformations throughout the piece and gives the performers the opportunity to work on many elements and styles of performing, from light dynamics and articulations, into something that is meant to be played with more energy and heaviness.
Resurgence of Sound was composed to celebrate the perseverance of instrumental music education during the COVID-19 pandemic. This piece provides ample opportunity to work on several musical elements, such as articulations, syncopated patterns, balance, tone, dynamic and rhythmic shifts, all while performing fun, uplifting and dramatic melodic material. Every instrument is given the opportunity to perform the melody at some point, making it exciting for all musicians to play.
The piece was composed for a band at the Grade 1.5 level to perform, but includes advanced parts for the flute, clarinet, alto sax, trumpet, horn and trombone/baritone. These parts add range, technique and control that is at the Grade 3 level. This offers the opportunity for more advanced players to play these parts with more flourishes while the majority of the band can play at a Grade 1.5 level.
Flexible Band Series
The following titles are available in FLEXIBLE BAND versions for use in classrooms with non-traditional instrumentation. Piece can be played with as little as five instruments up to a full band, including percussion.
Visit the CONCERT BAND section of this site to hear recordings of these pieces.
Grade 0.5
The Siege
Sneaking on the Housetops
Barricade
A Peaceful Journey
Celestial (Grade 1)
Grade 1.5
Rise of the Ancients
Western Fair
El Camino (Spanish March)
Last Voyage of the Queen Anne's Revenge
Through the Eye of the Storm
Mission: Secret
Grade 2
Glen and Galley
Jagged
Turmoil
Tides of Fate
Triumphant
Something Modal