At Dusk

At Dusk portrays the moments before, during, and after a sunset. Shifting between major and minor, it aims to capture the complex beauty of such a scene. Combining traditional and cinematic harmonies, this piece combines the beauty of lyrical music with the dramatic power that music can create.

After a confident opening, the piece begins with a pair of bittersweet melodies, shifting between major and minor with each new instrument. This leads to a dramatic build and key change into the peak of the piece, representing the sunset itself. This section uses many chromatic harmonies but sticks to pure triads, borrowing compositional techniques from film composers. As with the sunset, this moment only lasts so long, and dissonant passing tones create a sense of nostalgia that leads at last to the resolution of the opening theme.

This piece was written with the goal of having exciting sounding lyrical music, without relying on a fast tempo or short articulations. The piece uses a variety of techniques to keep both players and listeners engaged, aiming to provoke emotions and portray beauty while still feeling complex and full of character. The harmonic style provides younger players the opportunity to play more mature music without much added difficulty, and the percussion parts are written to have a wide range of flexibility for ensembles to perform.