Brandon Nelson

This is the text of the press release about the composition and premiere for my latest concert band piece:

Long under the well-received guidance of Benjamin Sherk, at the beginning of the current school year in Kingsford the band students and community were introduced to a new face on the podium: Mr. Jacob Barnby. Ishpeming native and composer Brandon Nelson has just put the finishing touches on a new composition to mark this momentous transition point in the history of the community.

Said Nelson, “I think we’re all aware of local band programs that take on a certain legendary quality over the years. In my area, one such program is that at Kingsford. For many years, under the leadership of Ben Sherk, the bands attained a very high level of musicianship and, in the case of the marching band, showmanship. The whole community fell in love with its unique band program.

“Of course, one person can’t keep going forever, and so, at the beginning of the 2022 school year, Mr. Sherk handed over his baton to Jacob Barnby. It’s always a formidable challenge to ‘fill the shoes’ in a legendary program, but through intelligence, determination, and lots of community of support, Mr. Barnby has successfully begun a new chapter for Kingsford.

“With this piece, I wanted to both honor the incredible legacy of Mr. Sherk and to wish Mr. Barnby and the whole Kingsford community many continued years of great music making!”

Barnby, a native of Onaway, Michigan, is a graduate of Northern Michigan University, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree through the University of Florida.

“I am very honored that Brandon has chosen to compose this fun piece to commemorate the beginning of my time at Kingsford.”, said Barnby. “It’s not every day the world premiere of a new piece of music is played, so I am incredibly grateful that my students get this opportunity as well. There is a huge responsibility here to ‘get it right’ as the interpretation we take with the piece lays the groundwork for other performances!”

Nelson had this to add about the process of writing this composition: “Let me begin with a little historical background on my inspiration: it’s always been a struggle for musicians to describe the functional nature of the harmonies of certain composers of the late 19th century, such as Wagner, Liszt, and Debussy. They often use familiar triads in unfamiliar ways, making traditional analysis difficult or impossible.

“In an attempt to understand the unique nature of this type of music, German musician Hugo Riemann came up with a simple, elegant way around this problem: describe the motion between the chords rather than focus on the “function” of each individual chord. There are several “operations” that Riemann came up with, and musicians since have greatly expanded on these concepts.

“It is the essential operations of Riemann that I have deployed in developing the harmonic framework for this piece, lending to it a flavor I would describe as unique yet somehow familiar, like an echo of the past with subtle overtones of the future.

“To me, the piece captures both the dynamic spirit and immense challenges posed by major changes in life. The technical aspects employed, I feel, give a fitting voice to these feelings.”

The composition, “To New Horizons!”, will be premiered at the Kingsford High School Auditorium on April 27th at 7pm. Composer Nelson will be in attendance and will give brief remarks prior to the performance.