The Sands of Time

***contact @[email protected] for updated horn and trombone parts*** The Sands of Time is a piece that I began to brainstorm in the fall of 2024, after Brian Theodorson (a conductor of New Horizons Band) offered me an opportunity to write for the band. Around the same time, one of my close friends Ethan Perez used the term “lost to the sands of time” in a text, and the concept for the piece was sealed. This piece aims to depict how I process the passing of time, as well the intense emotions that accompany the process. The conception of this piece could not have come at a better time (no pun intended) as recently graduating college and not being in school for the first time since I can remember has brought on intense emotions, including, nostalgia, confusion, dread, disorientation, confidence, hopelessness, and a general feeling of grief for the past. These emotions can be heard throughout the piece. The same words used to describe my emotions above are also seen in every musician‘s part, marking certain sections of the piece as it is played. The piece also uses unique percussion instruments such as a wind machine, a thunder tube, and a rain stick; all to convey the programmatic element of being lost in a sandstorm. Writing and rehearsing The Sands of Time has been very monumental for me, as it has helped me realize that expressing my emotions through an instrumental medium is not only a core aspect of my musical voice, but it is also something that is essential for my existence.