Capsized

During the spring months of 2011, on my way to one of my classes, a small but simple melody formed in my head. Rather than trying to turn it in into a grade 4-5 piece, I decided it was time to take Mike Story’s advice and write something a bit more on the simple side. I decided to go with a grade two, since at the time I had both a younger student and cousin both absorbing our musical culture, and their talents brought inspiration to write for a younger ensemble. After writing about a minute’s worth of music, it dawned on me that the melody that had formed in my head seemed to represent pirates. I then developed the rest of the piece around the life of a pirate, from sinking ships, to finding ones bonnie-lass, and singing traditional pirate songs. Using a sonata form, simple rhythms, and a fun melody, this piece is fun for all to perform, and brings new levels of challenges for all. Capsized is a musical piece about a very clumsy pirate who has a problem with every ship he steals, they sink. Every time he obtains a new vessel, he manages to find a way to bring water aboard and watch it make its way to the oceans floor. Throughout his journey, he finds a lady friend, and as he tries to sweet talk her, she obviously doesn’t feel the same way. Forced to find another ship, he reverts back to his old pirate ways, by singing the well known song, “yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me!”