Three days with Autumn: an original composition for wind ensemble

Abstract

Three Days with Autumn is an autobiographical composition for wind ensemble inspired by the loss of my daughter. The piece is in three episodic movements; features the solo flute, saxophone section, and percussion section; and is approximately eleven minutes in duration. The accompanying document analyzes four pieces that influenced its composition and discusses the inclusion of the Fibonacci series as well as a numerical system I created based on the names of my wife, myself, and our daughter. I used this system as a form of set theory to create a tonal piece by deriving sets from diatonic scales. An analysis of the three movements focuses on how I created melodic content and harmonic structure from my derived musical materials. Finally, there is discussion of the piece’s relevance vis-à-vis wind ensemble repertoire concerning child loss as well as potential difficulties while rehearsing the piece.