Program Notes In the face of adversity, hope is the only choice. 2020 has been challenging for all of us, and this bold new work by composer Randall Standridge reflects on the choice between hope and despair. This exciting concert opener the perfect vehicle for teaching 7/8 time to your young musicians, as it uses…
Program Notes Fiat Lux. “Let there be light.” In 2019, I was very fortunate to be invited to the University of Akron (Akron, Ohio) to serve as the clinician/composer-in-residence for a conference and honors event they were hosting. During my travels, I meet all kinds of people, and, generally speaking, I get along with them. …
Program Notes Imagine, if you will, the perfect Spring day. The air is cool but the sun is warm on your skin. The sound of newly awakened fauna chatter about the lush, verdant landscape. The blue sky seems to go on for miles. How could you feel anything but happy on a day like that?…
Program Notes For those of you that are unaware, I was a band director for twelve years. During my time in that occupation, I created many works that had specific educational goals, but would also fit into our concert repertoire as, what I hoped, would be engaging pieces for both the players and the audience. …
About the inspiration for the work Music can serve many purposes. It can inspire, it can illustrate, it can cause waves of emotion…and it can comfort. I’m sure many of us have had moments in our lives when our greatest comfort was a favorite song, melody, or great work. 2020 has been a stressful year.…
Program Notes A few years back, I created a narrative work for concert band entitled The Darklands Symphony, which told the tale of several characters and places that I have created over the years in my imagination through stories, art, and, finally, music. All of the pieces were at the Grade 2-2.5 level, and were…
Program Notes The Christmas season is full of lights, colors, foods, and most importantly…music. The long tradition of Christmas carols is rich in its tapestry of styles, melodies, and overall feeling of good-will. It is from this plethora of songs that I have assembled this medley for young ensembles, A Festival of Carols; in this…
Recently, at the Texas Music Educators Association convention, I had an interesting conversation with a director. She said that she wished there was more beginning band repertoire that taught 6/8, and that most of what she had found was too hard. I put this conversation in the back of my brain and let it cook…
I have been a full time composer so long that sometimes, I think, people forget that I started my career as an educator. I was a band director for twelve years in Harrisburg, AR, and when I say I was a band director, what I actually mean is I was THE band director (for eight…
War, Pestilence, Famine, and Death are illustrated in this dramatic suite for Wind Ensemble. This work was commissioned by the Colorado Mesa University Wind Symphony and their conductor, Calvin Hofer, with the generous support of Karen Combs Peace, Love, and Music. Published by Randall Standridge Music, LLC PRICING: Digital Copy (PDF and Site License) -…