12.2.23 Aidan Sherwood, Percussion

Evening Concert Series Sara M. Snell Music Theater

2023 – 2024 Season Saturday, December 2nd at 3:05 PM

Aidan Sherwood, Percussion This recital is dedicated to Brandon Sherwood (2005-2022) Kingdoms (2021)

For The Fleeting Moment (2018) Stank (2016)

Song Book for Alto Saxophone and Marimba (1998) V. Summer Song VII. Song for Alison Nathaniel Cobb, Alto Saxophone Aiden Sherwood is from the studio of Dr. Robert Sanderl.

Russell Wharton (b. 1992) Aaron Trewitt (b. 1990) David Maslanka (1943 – 2017) Cy Miessler (b. 1992)

Kingdoms

Russell Wharton

I have always found a great deal of inspiration in film and television. Frequently when I am writing, I find myself envisioning a movie in my head and simply attempting to write the soundtrack to that movie. I’ve often wished that I could show my imagined movie to the audience while the piece is being played.

After witnessing a performance of Garth Neustatder’s Seaborne, an incredible piece for percussion ensemble with video, it became clear that this was a real possibility.

Around the same time, I became obsessed with Qasim Naqvi’s synthesizer album Teenages, Around the same time, and also around the same time, Andrew Lynge approached me to write a snare drum solo. Thus, Kingdoms was born.

In the Austin Kleon-inspired spirit of “nothing is original,” here are the musicians, movies, and video games that influenced this piece: Garth Neustatder, Bon Iver, Hans Zimmer, Qasim Naqvi, Stranger Things, Holly Herndon, Blade Runner 2049, Mitch Murder, Hollow Knight, Bill Wurtz, Interstellar, and Square Peg Round Hole.

I must also give credit to my students for imagining that we might someday live in a world full of bugs.

Program Note by Russell Wharton

For the Fleeting Moment

Aaron Trewitt

Aaron Trewitt’s For the Fleeting Moment is my first exploration into solo vibraphone playing. The composer says, “It was written for my wife Katie in celebration of ten years of companionship. It also serves as a reflection on the expeditious nature of life’s own “fleeting moments.” This is the second-ever performance of this piece, and it was a challenge to learn and develop the techniques used throughout this piece.

Program Notes by Aidan Sherwood

Stank

Cy Miessler

Stank was commissioned with the title in mind. It is a groovy multi-percussion solo that uses quasi-drumset style grooves and rhythms to invoke the feeling of stank you find in certain genres of music. I wanted to use the stankiest instruments I could think of, which to me was at minimum a really low floor tom and cowbell, so these instruments are used prominently throughout the piece. At the end, the piece opens up into a more explosive, soloistic section that features more virtuosic snare drum playing. It then settles one last time at the end into a final but brief stanky groove.

Program Notes by Cy Miessler

Song Book for Alto Saxophone and Marimba

David Maslanka

“Song Book” was commissioned by Steven Jordheim and Dane Richeson of the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, and was composed in the summer of 1998.

The movements of “Song Book” are relatively brief. They have a particular thing to say, a particular mood and attitude to express, and then they are done. I think of the pieces as emotional scenes.

5. “Summer Song” is a sweet piece that needs no further explanation.

7. “Evening Song” brings to mind some of my favorite music, the Op.116 Intermezzos by Brahms. “Evening Song”, like other pieces in the set, is an openly Romantic music. It is ultimately quiet and resigned, but has, over its course, an urgent and passionate statement to make.

Program Notes by David Maslanka