Brass Quintet No. 2: Life in the Time of COVID-19

My Brass Quintet No. 2 is a musical reflection and meditation on living through the Covid-19 pandemic in four movements. The pandemic affected everyone differently and musically I looked to give everyone something to relate to. I struggled to compose for the greater part of the pandemic, I was overwhelmed by feelings of dread and anxiety. During the pandemic, I was able to take my dog Evie for long walks every day through Fairfax, as I was home every day and could not go out to do anything else. On these walks I remember seeing new green appearing on trees as spring began and having a hymn tune, "Soon the Green Blade Rises" getting stuck in my head. This idea that spring will always come kept me sane through the darkest days of the pandemic, and I hope this is the feeling listeners will leave with after hearing this piece, no matter how long it may take for that spring to come. I took much of my inspiration during my composition process from Chip Kidd's The Cheese Monkeys: A Novel in Two Semesters. This piece is meant to evoke strong emotions and reactions, so as a listener, allow yourself to be present and feel any and all of the emotions. Performers, please pay careful attention to all performance notes throughout the piece, every action is a part of the music during this piece. I would like to dedicate this piece to all who lived through the Covid-19 pandemic, and to the memory of all who were lost.