Suite for Band

FIRST SUITE FOR BAND was commissioned by the Tennessee Tech University Band Alumni Association to commemorate Professor Joseph W. Hermann's 20th year as Director of Bands at TTU. Musically, the composition itself was created as a celebration of the collegiate experience. As an undergraduate at Tennessee Technological University, I took great pride in learning about the school and its history. While contemplating this work, I visited the campus in Cookeville, TN for the first time in nearly ten years. The smell of the maple trees, the sight of the purple gold flowers, and the sounds of the Derryberry Hall clock tower immediately took me back to the excitement of the campus environment. While my time as a student at Tennessee Tech is an experience I will always cherish, my fondness for my own alma mater is a type of affection shared by most anyone who has endured the trials of higher education. As students we cheer for our team, wear our school's colors, and live our lives around campus events; years later as alumni we recall those experiences with overwhelming nostalgia. It is this devotion - and those experiences - to which this work is dedicated.