Evan Zegiel
Path to Serenity
for tuba and fixed media (heavy metal band)
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Path to Serenity is a very special piece from my album, e Human Element. It is a reworked version of a piece by the same name that I wrote when I was thirteen years old. Back then, I didn’t intend to add tuba to the piece, but I did start having ideas about trying to combine my tuba and guitar/bass skills in some kind of project.
is piece is slightly less programmatic than many of the other works on e Human Element. In the context of the album, it is a loose meditation on our current state of affairs re: conservationism. e piece begins with tranquil, melodic playing in the tuba, accompanied by gentle dyads in the bass guitar. is music, combined with the melodic figures which come later on, aim to depict a general spirit of progress. e “serenity” in the title essentially refers to a future Earth which we have healed and live in harmony with once again.
On a personal note, this piece is also a tribute to my grandmother, Katherine Zegiel. A few days before I went into the studio to record the tuba solo parts for e Human Element, she passed away aer baling various ailments in her old age. ose recording sessions were made doubly difficult by this loss, and I could not stop thinking about her while recording Path to Serenity. It just seemed like a piece of music she would enjoy and appreciate, as she was a talented musician herself with a beautiful singing voice. In fact, much of my extended family on that side is musical in some way, which is where I believe I got it.
I know that Grandma Katherine is in a serene place now. Were she still around to hear performances of this piece, I believe she would be proud of the work we tuba players have done to elevate the instrument. Let’s keep it going!
Instrumentation
Solo Tuba
Heavy Metal Band* (Rhythm Guitar, Electric Bass, Clean Guitar, Lead Guitar, Drums)
— Evan Zegiel 2024
*A backing track covering the heavy metal band parts is available from the publisher; the work is typically performed in a solo tuba & tape configuration.
Duration: 3:20 minutes
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Copyright © 2024 Evan Zegiel (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved. Published by Just a eory Press | www.justatheorypress.com First printing of this edition, March 2024
Evan Zegiel