Wings: A Contemplative Fanfare (2010)

Composed: August 28-29, 2010
Duration: approx. 3:20 min.
Premiere: November 6, 2010
Instrumentation: 2 trumpets (in C), piano

LISTEN!

Notes:
“Wings: A Contemplative Fanfare” was written as a gift in honor of the senior recital of a trumpet performance major and former student of the composer’s at Georgia State University.
The piece follows no particular programmatic structure and is rather a solemn reminder of the challenges faced by anyone who is about to graduate and enter the ‘real’ world with all its trials, tribulations – but also tremendous opportunities and, hopefully, victories.

In an e-mail to his student in August 2010, the composer summarized his thoughts the following way:

When I started writing I wanted [the piece] to be something that lives up to the occasion; and while your moving on to the next stage in your life is a wonderful step and ought to be celebrated, after graduation, you will also be facing reality and fighting your own battles before you know it. This piece is therefore not all happy and care-free by any means, as I cannot promise that things will be easy and always sunny. All you can hope and strive for is to leave a lasting legacy and indelible positive contribution on all those people whose lives you will touch in years to come.

VIDEO: Thomas Hooten & Jennifer Marotta, trumpet, perform “Wings: A Contemplative Fanfare”