Daniel Powers

Archive for October, 2009

In Praise of Folly was commissioned by a pair of students at Indiana State University; AJ Miller (euphonium) and Brian Loomis (bass trombone). They premiered it in April 2008 with Martha Krasnican on piano.

The title (like many of my titles) has little to do with the piece, but owes only to chance. Originally, I wanted to call it Euphoria, but found out that the title had already been used by Derek Bourgois. By merest chance, I happened across a reference to the satirical mock-oration In Praise of Folly by the Dutch scholar Dediderius Erasmus (1466-1536), and decided to borrow the title because I liked the sound of it.

The recording is from a concert performance by AJ Miller (euphonium), Brian Loomis (bass trombone), and Martha Krasnican (piano) at ISU’s Contemporary Music Festival in October 2008.

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Too long since I’ve updated this category. Let’s see…

My saxophone quartet Between Spring and Summer was performed six times in Thailand by the Nomine Saxophone Quartet, a student group here at ISU, in connection with the 16th World Saxophone Congress in Bangkok. It was a great experience for them, and my music was heard by a lot of people, which is good.

Cloudscapes for flute octet has been performed three times so far this fall by the ISU Flute Ensemble. They will also perform it at ISU’s Contemporary Music Festival next month. Also, Amy Chandler, who plays alto flute, will include it on her senior recital, which I think is on November 8. Five performances altogether. Not bad. I’ll post a recording as soon as I can.

Busy, busy. But things are getting done. Let’s see…

Arrangements.

Two of the Gershwin arrangements for Cameron Carpenter & the Carmel Symphony are pretty much done, except for the orchestral parts, which shouldn’t take long. Finished are Fascinating Rhythm and Shall We Dance. Still to be done is Love Walked In, but I think the plan is for that to be mainly an organ solo.

Also done is one of the Sondheim arrangements for Sylvia McNair, Loving You (from Passion). Still to be done are Love Is In The Air and Everybody Says Don’t. Three songs from West Side Story are also being planned. I just hope I have time to do all this.

Compositions.

Everything has had to be on the back burner for a while, but I’m back to scratching away at the clarinet/bassoon/piano trio. I’ve been having some of the same problems with the third movement that I had with the first, namely my first ideas don’t pan out and I have to start over. I don’t know why this is a problem all of a sudden.