Pacific Scenes (2013) for brass octet was born from my desire to rework and build upon my first piece for the same ensemble, Pacific Suite (2010). Featuring two movements from the original work, Pacific Scenes uses an entirely new musical arch to accomplish the same goal: to embody my feelings for the Pacific Northwest through music based on art, architecture, and locations. Each movement is based on a location and mood, as indicated in the titles.

The market at Pike Place is brought to life by a dynamic scherzo; this is followed by a more stoic realization of the statue Black Sun in Volunteer Park of Seattle. The third movement, “Point Defiance, overcast,” features the most drama of any movement through its dirge-like musical crescendos that make way for a rhythmically driving middle-section. The Museum of Glass in Tacoma is represented by a straightforward melody passed through the full ensemble and later retold by the tuba. The final movement is a fugue in a jazz style meant to capture the massive scale of the Cascade Mountains. Pacific Scenes is a culmination of work with professors Stephen Hartke, Samuel Adler, and Donald Crockett between the years 2010 and 2013.

.

Click here to view a full score.

.

Listen to the recording of Pacific Scenes from my Senior Recital:

.

.