Tribute

Tribute was written my senior year of high school in dedication to my graduating class. As exaggerative as it may seem, it truly took four years for me to shape how this piece sounds. It went through several conceptual stages, each straying further and further from the initial concept I had developed for the piece. My senior year, I sat down and deconstructed the writing process; what you hear today is the result- the truest form of this composition. I aimed to convey a variety of emotions through this music. Nostalgia- for the twelve years our class spent together, to pay homage to all the happy memories we made along the way. Grief- for the hardships we faced over those twelve years, the times when the future seemed uncertain. Jubilation- for the innumerable victories we saw, the times when we felt higher than the sky itself. Perhaps the most notable aspect of this piece is the choir feature. I decided to include the choir to commemorate my time as a member of the Independence High School music department. As a student, I participated in marching band, concert band, musical theatre, and show choir. It felt only appropriate to show love to both sides of my musicianship- instrumental and vocal.