PREMIERE: Breathe, Set Play
University of Oregon Saxophone Studio transformed the ink I put on a page into some golden sounds!
On Wednesday, I drove from Portland (OR) down to Eugene to watch the University of Oregon Saxophone Studio give the premiere of my piece Breathe, Set, Play. I was nervous to share something I put a lot of heart into with the rest of the world, as I always am.
My anxiety came in the form of questions as the studio made its way through the program (my piece at the very end it): Would the music be good? Would it be clear what was going on? Would the players and audience enjoy it? Was the music too simple? Was it interesting the whole way through? Would it sag? Did I write it in a way that a group of a dozen+ saxophonists could pull it off?
Breathe, Set, Play is the piece of music I’ve been least involved in bringing to life so far; other premieres I’ve often been one of the performers or knew the performer well. What would this lack of supervision yield?
From the beginning of the piece, I relaxed. The first sound was full and confident, the music in good hands. The slowly expanding chords I had begun the piece with received a patient and rich treatment from the group and the energetic second section was plenty lively while still staying clear despite some of the technique in the parts.
Instead of continuing this play by play, I’ll just share the recording - though I’d like to note (stereotypically) just how much more impactful the live performance was than the recording. This isn’t always the case for me; often the clarity of a recording beats listening live somewhere in a large hall, especially when concerti are concerned. But on Wednesday, the ensemble completely filled the room and the audience: you could feel the low saxophones rumble and bark in your chest; hear the overtones of the brilliant chords in the high saxes ringing in your ears; and in the biggest moments, you were entirely encompassed in golden noises, an organ-like washiness.
Following the concert, several musicians and audience members approached me and said some very kind things about the music, allaying many of the anxieties I walked into the concert with. Thank you to the University of Oregon Saxophone Studio, Dr. Sean Fredenburg, and their audience for taking a chance on my music; it seems like we all got something out of it.
If you’ve got saxophones in your life, consider sharing this recording with them; you and they can learn more about Breathe, Set, Play (including purchasing music!) on my website.
Congratulations on the premiere! Listening now. Incredible work. You should be proud :)