A Walk In the Rain

The Marquette (Michigan) City Band premiered my work Sweet Water Seas on June 23, 2022. They invited me to conduct the premiere of that work, and to play a trombone solo with the band. I grew up in Marquette, and played in the city band through high school and college and beyond, even conducting the group on several occasions. This ensemble has a special place in my heart and in my training. Many of its members are mentors to me and dear friends. It is always exciting to hear your compositions played for an audience, and especially exciting when that happens in your home town. In recent years, since moving to Canada, I have been playing quite a bit of bass trombone. I wanted to perform Goff Richards Rainy Day in Rio, but a concert band version of that work doesnt exist, yet. So I decided to write my own piece in a similar style. The Theme of the concert is based around water, so I kept the idea of a rainy day. One thing that I love to do, is to take a walk on a warm rainy day, I have since my childhood. I love the sound of the rain, the smell of the wet ground and wet plants, and the feeling of the water falling on me. Marquette has a park by Lake Superior that is a popular place for walking, Presque Isle (Known locally as the Island). Two days a week, the road around the island is closed for walkers. There are many nature trails in the park as well. I have great memories of walking around the Island in a warm summer rain, and it is these memories I was thinking of when I composed this piece. I tried to compose something that would be a good fit for a summer band concert in the park, with a latin style, laid back and a bit lazy. Enjoy!