Performance Art
for Unlacquered Brass Quintet and the Longhorn Network

In the summer of 2013, Lowell Galindo, lead anchor of LHN, was creating a project attempting to display the similarities between athletics and art.
He wanted to use athletes and musicians from the University of Texas, and asked Unlacquered Brass Quintet to be involved.  Unlacquered asked me to write them music for it.

Originally, this was intended to be a 6 minute piece: it then became 12 minutes long, and eventually we were asked to write/perform the music for all 25 minutes.
At this point in time, we had about 3 weeks until the recording session.


Lowell gave me a 3 minute sample video showing what he was going to do, as well as a set of descriptions of what he was looking for in each segment.
I am including these descriptions above each recording.




Each segment may be programmed (and purchased) individually.  Alternatively, you can buy all 4 movements here:
Scores



Pole Vaulter (To Soar) - "Tension and release":  2 female pole vaulters.  They are petite powerhouses.  Fearless and graceful.  They sprint with pole in hand and then launch
themselves skyward.  Lot of energy and tension and then a definite feeling of "release" at the point they literally let go - of both ground and pole.


Scores



Weight Lifting (To Lift) - "Controlled Power":  Bennie Wylie is like a work of art himself.  Man is chiseled.  Controlled power is what I see when Wylie is lifting.  Technique is flawless.
But there is explosiveness.  Strain.  Urgency.  You can literally see his muscles going from a relaxed state to fully flexed.


Scores



Baseball (To Throw)
- "Deception and Confidence" - Focusing on Nathan Thornhill who is a pitcher.  The pitcher is very much an isolated man.  Really on an island.
He stands on the mound above everyone for all to see.  He is the only player on the field that has a hand in every play or pitch.  Incredible focus.  Repetition is key.  If one of his movements is
slightly off, a pitch can stray way off its target.  Deception and Confidence are key for a pitcher.  He tries to outsmart his opponent and yet there are times when he will simply overpower his opponent.

*Grand Prize Winner, 2014 PARMA Recordings Student Composer Competition*



Scores




Divers (To Dive)
- "Ethereal" - Combination of male and female divers.  Ethereal.  Floating.  Delicate.  Divers are extremely physically strong and make their bodies contort
in and out of form while falling.  Yet they hit the water and the water hardly moves upon contact.  This segment will feature underwater shots as well.  However you can describe
the way water moves is how I would describe the feel for this!


Scores




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