Last summer, I was contacted by Chris Carmean, who is the Percussion Director at Pickerington North High School. The Pickerington North Percussion Ensemble would be preparing repertoire to perform at their upcoming 20th Anniversary Concert in February of 2023, and Chris asked if I would write a piece for them to perform at this special event.
I have known Chris for many years, and of course I was extremely excited to be a part of this project! I immediately thought of and drew inspiration from my good friend, who was a member of the Pickerington Band.
Through the Emerald Lens Program Notes:
When Chris Carmean invited me to write a piece for this special concert, the theme 'Pickerington Connections' spoke easily to me. I have had a few previous experiences with Pickerington, including rehearsing at Pickerington North HS with the Glassmen Drum & Bugle Corps and marching in the Rose Parade with the Saluting America's Band Directors Marching Band (a project of the Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation).
For this piece, the Pickerington connection that I drew inspiration from is the friendship I have with a particular Pickerington Band alum. This wonderful friend has been a consistent supporter of mine throughout my musical career, and the sparkle in my friend's uniquely green eyes led me to the idea of writing a piece about the emerald, entitled “Through the Emerald Lens.”
“Through the Emerald Lens” explores the emerald stone and what it symbolizes. The piece is divided into four major parts, each of which represents various qualities or symbols that the emerald stone is known for:
1) Magical, Mysterious, Mystical
2) The Heart Chakra ("Open the Heart and Calm the Emotions")
3) Wisdom, Truth, Patience
4) Friendship, Peace, Hope, Unconditional Love
The 20-note chime transition commemorates the ensemble's celebration of 20 years. And if you listen closely, you may find a special Pickerington gem...
Thanks to full-time travel, I was able to attend the concert in person. It was amazing! Chris has done an incredible job with these students. His positive impact on their lives was evident in the energy of the current students as well as the entire alumni ensemble that played a couple of special pieces just for this event.
Fellow composer Josh Gottry, who also had a piece performed on the concert, had watched the concert’s live stream. He reached out to me following the concert, and thanks to his encouragement, I submitted the piece to C. Alan Publications. A few months later and here we are! Through the Emerald Lens is now available for purchase through C. Alan Publications.
I am so grateful to Chris Carmean, Kensey Chellis, and Nathan Daughtrey for helping this piece have an opportunity to exist and then be published and shared with the world. Thanks also to Josh Gottry and a few of my former percussion teachers for all their advice and support.
Here is the live performance at Pickerington North's 20th Anniversary Concert on February 25th, 2023.
Through the Emerald Lens can be purchased through C. Alan Publications:
Through the Emerald Lens - C. Alan Publications (physical copy / digital pdf download)
Through the Emerald Lens - Steve Weiss Music (physical copy)
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