Da Ka Di Mi Da What?

Program Notes To the Performers: First of all, thank you for choosing this piece for your ensemble. I composed it while working on my Doctorate of Musical Arts at West Virginia University. I wanted to compose something brief, complex, and engaging for the performers. I also wanted to make audiences laugh. The music is theatrical in character, somewhat like performance art. Itis kind of like watching a brass quintet attempt something nice and completely fall apart on stage. About the Syllables, Da Ka Di Mi Da: When I studied improvisation with Ed Sarath at University of Michigan we worked extensively on rhythms and odd meters. We used syllables borrowed from Indian Classical music for these studies. I am in no way claiming an in-depth understanding of these musical traditions. Their use is for emphasizing the meters and rhythms and encouraging performers to potentially step out of their comfort zones. The comical nature of the piece is in no way intended to make fun of the syllables or the ancient traditions from which they are borrowed. More About the Music: This piece should sound very serious at first. The pitches for the syllables, iDa ka di mi da,i are notated in concert pitch. Feel free to tastefully over exaggerate the dialog. In fact, you can add additional dialog as you see fit. A few cracked notes, and/or late entrances, after about half-way through, may enhance the performance as well. Just be sure the iDa ka di mi dai theme is always played well and sung together accurately. Duration: Circa 4' 30"