INSTRUMENTATION

6-PART ADAPTABLE ENSEMBLE
ADDITIONAL PARTS (optional): Bass Guitar, Piano/Keyboard Synthesizer

PERCUSSION LIST

All percussion is optional.

STRONGLY ENCOURAGED IF AVAILABLE
Snare Drum -OR- Tambourine (played with drum sticks), Drum Set (kick, snare, 2 toms, floor tom, hi-hat, ride, crash),
Egg Shaker, Cabasa
If only one player is available, an alternate drum set part is provided to cover many of the above parts.

ADDITIONAL PARTS AVAILABLE
Bass Drum, Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Vibraphone, Marimba (4.3-octave)

WORLD PREMIERE: October 15, 2021 | UIC Symphonic Band (Christopher Vongvithayamathakul, conductor) | The University of Illinois at Chicago

ORIGINAL VERSION DETAILS [concert band]

COMMISSIONED BY: Jason Taurins and the St. David USD #21 Symphonic Band
WORLD PREMIERE: May 4, 2021 | St. David USD #21 Symphonic Band (Jason Taurins, conductor) | St. David, Arizona

ABOUT THIS VERSION

Kaleidoscopic Dances was originally commissioned by Jason Taurins and the St. David USD #21 Symphonic Band in early 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic devastated the world. At the time, the ensemble consisted of eight performers (seven wind players and one percussionist), and so my compositional approach for the work proceeded with this in mind. While the final version was published with additional instrumental parts, I realized that my writing process for this piece was very similar to the approach I would later take for composing and arranging the flex/adaptable music I've worked on since 2020. It naturally made sense to me that Kaleidoscopic Dances could be fully reworked into a true flex/adaptable piece.

With all of this in mind, the adaptable ensemble version of Kaleidoscopic Dances has been re-arranged for 6 parts. As with my previous adaptable ensemble compositions and arrangements, all percussion is entirely optional. Additional, optional parts for bass guitar, piano, and keyboard synthesizer are included in this version. Backing tracks are also included, to be used if needed as a substitute for any, or all, of these additional parts.

My sincerest gratitude goes to Jason Taurins and the St. David USD #21 Symphonic Band for the opportunity to write this music for them. I am delighted to present this new version of Kaleidoscopic Dances​.

As I was flying back home from a trip one bright afternoon, I was enamored by a particular phenomenon that made an appearance in the skyline for only a few minutes. As the plane was high above the clouds, the sunlight glared at such an angle and the passenger window reflected the sunlight at such a point that a perfect circle with all of the colors of the rainbow was formed in the clouds. This particular type of cloud iridescence was fascinating to witness, and it led me to imagine a fiery celebration of colors and sounds contained within this phenomenon.

Kaleidoscopic Dances is a light and joyous work in this regard, a fun and youthful celebration of life complimented with a constant sensation of motion. A kaleidoscope of shimmering melodic figures are infused with grooves inspired by heavy metal and progressive rock, creating a sound world both modern in nature and celebratory of some of this planet's most beautiful natural wonders.