Happy to be Here

Marking the year milestone following his cancer diagnosis, composer Dan Dickerman created this piece chronicling his year's struggles and successes. It follows the tension of the many stages and emotions of that time through changing meter, feel, and mode while keeping pulse and key constant, always pushing forward. The piece hinges around odd-meter "clockwork" sections in the mallet percussion, while the bulk of the tune otherwise flows in variations of straight-4 or cut time. After much interplay balancing full ensemble sections against smaller groups, a brief solo/trio section leads toward a full-band chorale which is interrupted by an MRI machine, the return to the piece's central themes, and a celebratory finish. Grade 4 6 minutes ISMN 979-0-800146-02-2