Beneath a Stormy Sky
Francis L.
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"Beneath a Stormy Sky" is a piece for wind ensemble. It starts with an ominous riff in the low reeds, followed by a development in the clarinets. The ominous mood then gives way to a grand yet somber round that fades again into the ominous riff from the beginning. Some staccato sax lines foreshadow unease as the band goes through an accelerando. Suddenly, only two dissonant, syncopated flutes remain, representing danger and emergency. A texture of panicked emergency joins them as the storm continues. Eventually, this texture cleans itself up, and a joyous melody represents sunshine at the eye of the storm. This too fades, and the piece ends on the same ominous riff that started it.
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Creativity is a way for me to explore myself. I often have spurts of inspiration where I discover something or come up with something and work furiously to develop the idea or learn more about it. These moments of pure passion—pure humanity—form a crucial part of my identity.