Kansas Flint Hills

Often when I travel, people ask where I'm from. When I reply I live in Kansas, their eyebrows lift and they ask if we have cows roaming around! It is true, Kansas is smack in the middle of the U.S. and not a lot of folks travel to Kansas as a tourist destination. It is very flat and there is not a lot to see along the highway. It takes about 8 hours to cross the state on I-70 and you'll probably want to bring some good podcasts or recordings. However, there is one stretch that is breathtakingly beautiful with wide-open space and massive prairie called the Flint Hills. There is just enough change in the color and terrain to make you wake up and look out. While enjoying the view, which can be stunning during a sunset, imagine what may have taken place across this land. This music attempts to reflect on the beauty and history of the Flint Hills from early settlers loping on horses or in covered wagons, to conflicts that may have arisen with Native Americans, to visiting today where your mind can wander, as you take in the magnitude. This work was first read by the World Youth Wind Symphony, Dr. Steven Davis, Conductor, at Interlochen 2019, edited and now ready for you to play!