SKU: PR.144407320

ISBN 9781491135006. UPC: 680160685998.

From the pen of Lauren Bernofsky comes a truly unique contribution to the trombone repertoire – music expressing the joys and challenges of parenthood, through a mother’s eyes. FROM A MOTHER’S JOURNAL is a suite of five movements, Love Letter, A World of Worry, Bedtime Battle, Contentment, and Little Imp, which bubble with warmth, irony, frustration, tenderness, humor … as complex a cocktail of emotions as parenthood itself. The music explores a broad range of trombone techniques, making the 10-minute suite an exciting tour de force for any recital.
The idea for FROM A MOTHER’S JOURNAL originated during car ride from an IWBC conference back to New York City – Nikki Abissi and I were sharing our experiences of the challenges and joys of motherhood, and she said, “Wouldn’t it be cool to have a trombone piece written about all the emotions of motherhood?” There certainly wasn’t one that I knew about! Not long after, she contacted me about writing her exactly that piece.I thought that this was definitely a concept for a piece whose time had come, and I was immediately on board with the project. She sent me some short descriptions of some of her experiences, from the frustration of getting a rambunctious baby to go to sleep at bedtime to the boundless love she felt for not just her baby but her husband, as a father, as well. I wrote each anecdote into a short movement, and the result was a collection of musical vignettes covering a range of moods and textures as well as trombone techniques. Since I, too, am a mother, I filtered her anecdotes through my own lens, and I consider this piece to be not just a biography of Nikki but also my own autobiography.

SKU: BT.AMP-342-010

9x12 inches. English-German-French-Dutch.

Five States of Change was commissioned by Kunstfactor for the 4th section of the Dutch National Brass Band Championships (NBK) 2011. It is dedicated to Jappie Dijkstra and the Music Information Centre (MUI), Arnhem, Holland, in acknowledgement of their outstanding work in developing band repertoire.The composer writes: The idea for the piece came when I was reading an article about a branch of Chinese philosophy which is abbreviated as Wu Xing*, which has no exact translation but can mean, for example, five elements, five phases or five states of change. It is central to all elements of Chinese thought, including science, philosophy, medicine andastrology, and in simple terms tries to create various cyclic relationships between five elements in all walks of life.An example is: Earth - Metal - Water - Wood - Fire - (Earth) etc. where (in one cycle) earth bears metal, metal changes to liquid (water) when heated, water helps trees grow, wood burns to create fire, fire produces ash (earth) and the cycle continues.I was particularly interested in the cycle of emotions:- Meditation - Sorrow - Fear - Anger - Joy - (Meditation) etc. and thought this cyclic principle would provide an effective emotional journey for a piece of music. So Five States of Change has five equal sections which loosely characterise this emotional cycle. I have tried to make the music grow organically, with minimal repetition, and each movement evolves from the musical elements at the end of the previous one, with the opening material appearing, transformed, at the end of the piece to complete the cycle. *in full Wu zhong liu xing zhi chi or the five types of chi dominating at different times

Five States of Change is geschreven in opdracht van Kunstfactor voor de 4e divisie van de NBK (Nederlandse Brassband Kampioenschappen) 2011. Het werk is opgedragen aan Jappie Dijkstra en het MUI (Muziekuitleen- en Informatiecentrum)te Arnhem,als waardering voor hun inspanningen met betrekking tot de ontwikkeling van het repertoire voor blaasorkesten.De componist schrijft: Het idee voor het werk kwam in mij op toen ik een artikel las over een takbinnen de Chinese filosofie waarvan denaam wordt afgekort tot Wu Xing* - waar geen exacte vertaling voor is, maar wat zoveel betekent als vijf elementen, vijf fasen of vijf stadia van verandering. Het gaat om eenwezenlijk onderdeel van alle componenten binnen hetChinese gedachtegoed, inclusief de wetenschap, filosofie, geneeskunst en astrologie. Simpel gezegd draait het om het creëren van diverse cyclische verbanden tussen vijf elementendie in ieders leven een rol spelen.Een voorbeeld: Aarde - Metaal - Water- Hout - Vuur - (Aarde) enz. In deze cyclus bevat aarde metaal, metaal verandert in vloeistof (water) door verhitting, water helpt bomen te groeien, houtdat brandt creëert vuur, en vuur produceert as (aarde). Zo blijft de cyclus voortgaan. Zelf wasik vooral ge nteresseerd in de cyclus van emoties: Meditatie - Verdriet - Angst - Boosheid - Vreugde - (Meditatie) enz. De gedachte aandit cyclische principe leverde een reis door een muzikale wereld van emoties op. Five States of Changebestaat uit vijf delen die betrekking hebben op de emotionele cyclus. Ik heb geprobeerd de muziek op natuurlijke wijzete laten ontstaan, met zo weinig mogelijk herhalingen. Elk deel vloeit voort uit de muzikale elementen uit het slot van hetvoorgaande deel. Het openingsmateriaal komt, in getransformeerde gedaante, terug aan het einde van het werk.

Five States of Change wurde von Kunstfactor für die vierte Abteilung der Holländischen Nationalen Brass-Band-Meisterschaft (NBK) 2011 in Auftrag gegeben. Die Widmung gilt Jappie Dijkstra und dem Musik-Informationszentrum (MUI) in Arnhem(Holland), in Anerkennung derer außerordentlichen Bemühungen um die Entwicklung des Blasorchester-Repertoires. Der Komponist über sein Werk: Die Idee zu diesem Stück kam mir beim Lesen eines Artikels über eine Richtung derchinesischen Philosophie, die abgekürzt Wu Xing* heißt, was nicht wörtlich übersetzt werden kann, aber so viel wie fünf Elemente, fünf Phasen oder fünf Stadien der Verwandlung bedeutet. DiesesPrinzip nimmt eine zentrale Position im gesamten chinesischen Gedankengut ein, sei es in der Wissenschaft, Medizin oder Astrologie. Einfach ausgedrückt, werden damit in allen Lebensbereichen verschiedene zyklische Beziehungen zwischenfünf Elementen hergestellt.Zum Beispiel: Erde - Metall - Wasser - Holz - Feuer - (Erde) - usw. In diesem Zyklus enthält die Erde Metall, das sich bei Erhitzung verflüssigt (Wasser); Wasser lässt Bäume wachsen, deren Holz verbrennt (Feuer)und zu Asche wird (Erde), womit der Kreislauf von neuem beginnt.Mich interessierte besonders der Kreislauf von Gefühlen:Meditation - Trauer - Angst - Ärger - Freude - (Meditation) usw.Ich dachte mir, dass dieser Kreislauf eine wirkungsvolleemotionale Reise“ durch ein Musikstück darstellen könnte. Folglich besteht Five States of Change aus fünf gleichen Abschnitten, die diesen Kreislauf der Gefühle grob nachzeichnen. Ich habe versucht, die Musik organischwachsen zu lassen mit möglichst wenig Wiederholungen. Jeder Satz entwickelt sich aus den Elementen vom Ende des vorhergehenden Satzes und das Material der Eröffnung vollendet am Schluss des Werkes den Kreis. *Abkürzung für Wu zhongliu xing zhi chi oder Die fünf Arten von Chi, die zu unterschiedlichen Zeiten dominieren

Five States of Change est une commande de l’institut Kunstfactor pour la 4e division des Championnats néerlandais de Brass Band en 2011. Cette œuvre est dédiée Jappie Dijkstra et au Music Information Centre (MUI) d’Arnhem, aux Pays-Bas, en hommage leur rôle exceptionnel dans le développement du répertoire pour Orchestre Vent.Le compositeur écrit : L’idée de cette composition m’est venue alors que je lisais un article sur un aspect de la philosophie chinoise, connu sous l’abréviation de Wu Xing*, qu’il est impossible de traduire littéralement mais qui peut signifier, par exemple, cinq éléments, cinq phases ou cinq états de changement. Toutechose dans l’univers est le fruit d’un cycle de création (ou d’engendrement) et de domination (ou contrôle). Ce concept est essentiel tous les éléments de la pensée chinoise, y compris les sciences, la philosophie, la médecine et l’astrologie et, en termes simples, il représente les multiples rapports cycliques qui existent entre cinq éléments liés l’univers et toute chose dans l’univers, donc l’homme.Évoquons le cycle de la création : Terre - Métal - Eau - Bois - Feu - (Terre) etc. La terre contient des minéraux, source de métal, le métal peut être fondu et se liquéfie, l’eau arrose et fait pousser les arbres, le bois br le et produit du feu, le feu produit des cendres, une sorte de terre, dans une dynamique cyclique perpétuelle.Parmi tous les cycles existants, celui des émotions éveilla particulièrement mon intérêt : Méditation - Chagrin - Peur - Colère - Joie - (Méditation) etc. et je me suis dit que ce principe cyclique pourrait être la source d’un puissant et émotionnel voyage musical. Five States of Change se compose donc de cinq parties égales qui reflètent assez librement ce cycle des émotions. J’ai essayé de faire en sorte que la musique se développe de manière fluide et naturelle, avec un minimum de répétitions. Chaque mouvement s’ouvre partir des éléments musicaux qui parachèvent le mouvement précédent, tandis que

L’idea di comporre questo brano è venuta a Philip Sparke leggendo un articolo sulla filosofi a cinese che si basa su cicli di cinque elementi, fasi e stadi di cambiamento. A Sparke interessavano in particolare il flusso dei sentimenti come la meditazione, il lutto, la paura, la rabbia e la gioia. A partire da questi elementi ha composto un impressionante “viaggio” musicale suddiviso in cinque sezioni, tematicamente intrecciate tra loro, quasi a voler formare un cerchio.

SKU: CF.YPS212F

ISBN 9781491152997. UPC: 680160910496.

Taking its title from a poem about grief and loss by Chrissie Pinney, Live On honors the life of band director Linda Mann, to whom the piece is dedicated. The piece begins with a pensive intro before shifting to a whimsical theme that brings about happy thoughts of a life well-lived. After a return to the poignant opening material, the music surges to a triumphant conclusion based on an augmented version of the whimsical theme.
Live On was commissioned by Diplomat Middle School's staff, faculty and students, in Cape Coral, Florida, and is dedicated to the memory of their Director of Bands, Linda Mann. Director of Orchestras, Roland Forti, championed the commissioning of this piece to honor the life of Linda after her untimely passing in February of 2017. Linda Mann’s impact on the field of music education was profound and wide-reaching. She was a beloved member of the staff at Diplomat Middle School, as well as the music community of Cape Coral and the state of Florida. Linda was highly respected throughout the state, serving as recent past-president of the Florida Bandmasters Association.In discussing the type of piece the school wanted to honor Ms. Mann, they indicated the piece should “depict Linda’s personality: dynamic, sassy, yet thoughtful and almost mentor-like.” They wanted a piece that was upbeat, yet still had moments that were thoughtful, portraying the grief that the Diplomat Middle School community has suffered from the sudden loss of such a beloved teacher.After contemplating their thoughts, I did some research to find inspiration for the piece. This led me to poetry about grief and loss. In time, I stumbled upon a short, yet poignant poem that I felt perfectly depicted the sentiment that I wanted the piece to convey.  That poem is entitled Live On by Chrissie Pinney.Live OnNow as I live onWithout youI hope to keepThe pieces of youThat I loved so dearlyYour mannerismsAnd compassionate characterAnd smiles through struggleSo that youMay live on too -Chrissie PinneyI reached out to Ms. Pinney, and she graciously agreed to allow me to quote her powerful poem in these notes. She expressed that she was deeply touched that her work would inspire me to write a piece in honor of Linda Mann.The piece begins with a poignant, pensive opening section. The use of the musical interval of a tritone between the first two openly voiced chords are used to represent the sadness we all feel from this type of loss. When I sat in front of my piano and started to work on this piece, my hands seemed to naturally and immediately play these first two chords, which set the process in motion of composing the piece.After the somber opening, the piece shifts to a whimsical theme that I hope brings about happy thoughts of Linda and her personality. It was also my intent, however, to include some musical dissonance in the theme that still reflected the bittersweet loss at the same time. The piece develops into a secondary theme that is a quasi inversion of the main fast theme. This section is followed by a return of the opening material, with snippets of the fast theme intertwined, before the piece builds to a triumphant, augmented presentation of the main theme in a lush form to complete the work.It is my hope that in some small way, this piece will bring comfort to those affected by the loss of Linda Mann, and that the music will allow her memory to Live On.–Larry ClarkLakeland, FL 2017.

SKU: SU.96010062

Instrumentation: SATB Chorus, & Piano
Duration: 4'
Composed: 2012
Published by: Subito Music Publishing Minimum order quantity: 8 copies. Perusal copies are available by contacting (include the organization name with your request). To order quantities fewer than 8, please call customer service at (973) 857-3440.
About T.N.TAs a matter of practicality, when I was first asked to write a piece for the New York Theatrical Community Choir in 2005 by its music director, David Wolfson, I immediately decided to write a Kyrie. After all, I thought..., the text is only about four words and eliminated the need for a lyricist. Most appealing, however, was the fact that it would bring me one step closer to finishing the Mass that I was in the process of writing. If ever there was a case to be made for divine inspiration this appeared to be it. David Wolfson liked the idea and casually mentioned that there was another Kyrie and a religious hymn on the program. He also mentioned that the choir consisted predominantly of actors that sing.Like a bolt of lightning, divine intervention interceded whereupon I instantly realized that he needed a piece to wake up the audience, not another Kyrie. I took a breath and spontaneously began to talk through and improvise the concept of a piece that became the basis for Taxi.At that moment I was clueless as to what kind of piece I would write but it appeared to be a good idea at the time. David's reaction to my presentation was something like Okay,...I have no idea what you are talking about but let's try it. After a very successful public performance, he was delighted that I decided not to write a Kyrie and remarked that writ-ing a piece like Taxi for this group was like feeding raw meat to a pack of hungry lions. At that moment, the idea of doing a trilogy of similar pieces was born. For the last two seasons of the choir's existence I was asked to write a new piece and... as a matter of practicality, I happily agreed.-- Joe GianonoNote: Taxi, Noise, and Time may be performed separately.

SKU: CF.YPS208F

ISBN 9781491152966. UPC: 680160910465.

A stunning and heart-wrenching composition based on the Jewish folk son Shlof, Mayn Kind. You can hear the emotional content pour out of this piece written in memory of an outstanding orchestra director. The piece beginnings with original material to set the tone, followed by a clarinet solo on the song. It then develops through a variety of different harmonic presentation before building to a nice key change and climatic moment. The piece ends as it began, but with a more hopeful tone. An amazing piece.
Sleep, My Child was commissioned by the Madison Middle School Band and Orchestra in Tampa, Florida, and is dedicated to the memory of their Director of Orchestras Kevin Frye. Director of Bands Chris Shultz championed the commissioning of this piece to honor Kevin after he passed away in December 2016. Mr. Frye was a beloved member of the staff at Madison Middle as well as the music community of Tampa and the state of Florida. I was a personal friend of Kevin’s. We were in several musical groups together when we were young that were formative to both of our musical careers. I also guest conducted his Madison Middle School Orchestra several times over the past four years. His musicianship, teaching skills and love for his students were exemplary.When taking on the challenge of writing a piece to honor Kevin’s legacy, Mr. Shultz and I decided to try and include several important aspects of Kevin’s life into the piece. Kevin was proudly Jewish, a fantastic trumpet player and loved Jazz. With that in mind, and after a lot of research, a Jewish folk song Shlof, Mayn Kind was selected as the basis for the piece, not to be religious, but to honor his faith and heritage. Plus it is a beautiful song, and I felt the title reflected the sentiment I was looking to express, which is of someone taking rest after a long battle with illness. Thus, a lullaby seemed appropriate.I also wanted to incorporate Jazz into the piece, but in a concert setting, so you will hear as the piece develops, the harmonies of the folk song expand into ones found more commonly in Jazz compositions. Not in a far out way, but in a subtle way to again honor this part of his life. For example the climactic moment of the piece at the fermata in m. 57 is a Dbmaj9#11 chord. It appropriately give the piece the angst that I was looking for at this moment in the piece, while honoring the importance of Jazz in Kevin’s musical life.The piece was also conceived to include both the Madison band and orchestra in the performance at the premiere. I wanted the pieces to work separately by the band and separately by the orchestra, but I also wanted them to be able to play the piece together to honor Kevin.The piece begins with original material designed to set the mood of the piece with a tempo/style marking of pensive, but also as material that I used as connective musical tissue between statements of the folk song.  After this introduction, the folk song is presented by a solo violin (or clarinet) with orchestral accompaniment in a simple straight forward presentation of the song. This is followed by a woodwind section statement of the folk song accompanied by muted trumpets. During this presentation the harmony starts to expand with more color notes in the chords. The low brass are added half way through this statement to add depth and lushness.The introductory material returns, but with some angry hits in the lower voices. This leads to a full ensemble state of new material that is used to transition to the climax of the piece, and to build tension. After the build, the piece modulates to a shortened statement of the folk song with more advanced harmonies and an active counter line in the violas, horns, saxes and first clarinets to further build the tension.  This tension is released at the fermata in m. 57, as mentioned above. After a thoughtful pause, the piece concludes with a completion of the folk song again with a solo violin (or clarinet) followed by a return of the introductory material to tie the piece together. The piece ends hopeful, with a solo trumpet (Kevin’s instrument) that is dissonant at first, but then resolves as if to say - everything will be OK! It has been my distinct honor to have been asked to write this piece in Kevin’s memory! I hope that in some small way the piece helps to bring comfort to his family, students, colleagues and to all those that knew him!–Larry ClarkLakeland, FL  2017.