{"title":"Socio-Political Music","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"this-homeless-way-clarinet-and-bass-clarinet","title":"THIS HOMELESS WAY (clarinet and bass clarinet)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: \u003cspan\u003e Bb Clarinet and Bass Clarinet\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 9:30\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2018\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eCommissioned by \u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eÉgide Duo.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kU0PenAKI1E?si=C4BaRTlblocOfJM_\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis Homeless Way\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is inspired by three poems by Jacob Folger, a formerly homeless person who now runs an organization called “Friend to the Homeless” (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.friendtothehomeless.org\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ewww.friendtothehomeless.org\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e), whose purpose is “to educate on Homelessness and help people to discover simple things they can do to ease the lives of Homeless People.” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643576262894,"sku":null,"price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/ThisHomelessWay-FINALp5.jpg?v=1790771255"},{"product_id":"a-requiem-for-2020-bass-clarinet-ensemble","title":"A REQUIEM FOR 2020 (14 bass clarinets)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: 14 Bass Clarinets\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eDURATION: c. 20:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2021\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bhzis9ZyPd0?si=WhF3VkjoDC-0pz6k\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2020 was an extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime (hopefully) year. It began with raging wildfires in Australia, a stark embodiment of the impending catastrophe of human-made climate change. This was followed by a once-in-a-century (hopefully) global pandemic that would cause the death of millions around the world, as well as untold social disruption, as millions upon millions of people were forced to stay at home, lost work, and adjusted to lives of mask-wearing and isolation. In the United States, the summer brought an unprecedented outpouring of protest over the country’s dark legacy of racism as manifested most vividly in the brutal police murder of George Floyd. The year culminated in a shocking first: the refusal of an American president to concede his election loss, as he and his allies disseminated a toxic stew of lies and conspiracy theories that tens of millions of Americans believed – and, on January 6th, 2021, acted on, in the violent storming of the U.S. capitol, an unprecedented attempt to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power. There were moments of hope as well. The outpouring of demands for racial justice was notable in the breadth and depth of its support across society. The coronavirus pandemic laid bare the deep inequalities in society – and created hope that there could finally be the political will to address them. Covid vaccines were developed at a whirlwind speed, and scientists, healthcare workers, and public health officials displayed bravery and dedication that are an inspiration to all of us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s a lot to process. No doubt social scientists, historians, public health officials, psychologists, artists, and all the rest of us will be reflecting on and learning from the events of 2020 for years, if not decades to come. A Requiem for 2020 is one early attempt at this processing. The work has no specific narrative, but taps into the swirl of emotions that dominated 2020 – fear, anxiety, sorrow, loneliness, rage – and slivers of hope. It is meant both to evoke the churning events and emotions of the year, and also to offer some space to grieve, reflect, remember, and find solace – hence the “requiem” in the title.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe work was composed for the Boston-based bass clarinet ensemble “Improbable Beasts” and premiered virtually at ClarinetFest 2021.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577114862,"sku":null,"price":64.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/2020requiemforbassclarinets-FINALp3.jpg?v=1790715914"},{"product_id":"nomad-concerto-piano-reduction","title":"NOMAD CONCERTO (bass clarinet and piano)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Bass Clarinet and Piano (reduction of the wind octet version)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 18:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2020\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCommissioned by Nomad Session (original wind octet version)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e(C piano score; bass clarinet part is transposed)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AMh0iVGUnUg?si=SN4AC0R-352sXL4n\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOriginally for solo bass clarinet and wind octet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHumans evolved as nomads: hunter-gatherers following the seasonal migrations of animals. Yet today, nomadism is a distant memory for most of us, a concept both marginalized and romanticized by our society. Actual nomadic cultures have become rare, and they almost always exist on the margins of the states that contain them, often mistrusted and looked down on by others. Think of the European Roma (“Gypsies”), the Irish “Travelers”, the middle-Eastern Bedouin, the sub-Saharan African “Bushmen.” In our own society, nomadism is also often associated with marginalization, from trailer dwellers to seasonal workers to homeless people. Yet nomadism is also romanticized; “Nomad” shows up as a hip name for everything from cafés to bicycle shops to lifestyle blogs to…wind octets…signaling freedom and an unwillingness to be hemmed in by society’s conventions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo are humans innately nomadic? Evolutionarily, the answer would seem to be “yes”…And yet, the urge for “home” also seems to be profoundly innate. We invest extraordinary resources in owning and maintaining homes, sums we would never contemplate spending on anything else. And we seem to view the lack of a “proper” home very negatively: we talk of troubled children being from “broken homes” and of course at the very bottom of our social order are those who are “homeless.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut what is “home”? A building? A community? A landscape? An idea? How do we square our clear desire for home with our innate urge to wander and our historical origins as nomads? What, in the end, does “home” actually mean?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis piece attempts to explore these contradicting human desires for home and exploration, between being settled and being nomadic. It is structured in four movements that flow together without pause. The first movement evokes the wide open spaces and limitless possibilities – both literal and metaphorical – of an idealized “homeland.” Movement two interrupts this idyll with crisis, forcing us to flee from the comfort and security of home, becoming involuntary nomads like so many refugees and migrants before us. The third movement reflects nostalgia for a return to that idealized “home” that may never be possible. The final movement is an attempt to come to terms with and embrace the nomadic life. It is inspired in part by the genre of raucous, joyous wind and brass “street music,” as exemplified by Somerville, MA’s Honk Festival. This music, performed in the streets and deeply connected to movements for social justice, draws on a wide range of folk traditions and cultures in an attempt to create a sense of community that transcends the insular, personal sense of “home” that our modern, physical houses create. It implies that, in the end, perhaps “home” is not so much a physical place as a place within a community. That sense of a place within a community – of belonging – is what we ultimately long for when we long for “home.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577475310,"sku":null,"price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/NomadConcerto-FINAL-pianoreductionp2.jpg?v=1790707494"},{"product_id":"nomad-concerto-bass-clarinet-wind-octet","title":"NOMAD CONCERTO (bass clarinet + wind octet)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Solo Bass Clarinet and Wind Octet (flute\/piccolo, oboe\/English horn, clarinet\/bass clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 18:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2020\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCommissioned by Nomad Session\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e(C score; parts are transposed)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cKd1R3eQ5DA?si=gvQOVmvq4-KojN-C\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"column\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHumans evolved as nomads: hunter-gatherers following the seasonal migrations of animals. Yet today, nomadism is a distant memory for most of us, a concept both marginalized and romanticized by our society. Actual nomadic cultures have become rare, and they almost always exist on the margins of the states that contain them, often mistrusted and looked down on by others. Think of the European Roma (“Gypsies”), the Irish “Travelers”, the middle-Eastern Bedouin, the sub-Saharan African “Bushmen.” In our own society, nomadism is also often associated with marginalization, from trailer dwellers to seasonal workers to homeless people. Yet nomadism is also romanticized; “Nomad” shows up as a hip name for everything from cafés to bicycle shops to lifestyle blogs to…wind octets…signaling freedom and an unwillingness to be hemmed in by society’s conventions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo are humans innately nomadic? Evolutionarily, the answer would seem to be “yes”…And yet, the urge for “home” also seems to be profoundly innate. We invest extraordinary resources in owning and maintaining homes, sums we would never contemplate spending on anything else. And we seem to view the lack of a “proper” home very negatively: we talk of troubled children being from “broken homes” and of course at the very bottom of our social order are those who are “homeless.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut what is “home”? A building? A community? A landscape? An idea? How do we square our clear desire for home with our innate urge to wander and our historical origins as nomads? What, in the end, does “home” actually mean?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis piece attempts to explore these contradicting human desires for home and exploration, between being settled and being nomadic. It is structured in four movements that flow together without pause. The first movement evokes the wide open spaces and limitless possibilities – both literal and metaphorical – of an idealized “homeland.” Movement two interrupts this idyll with crisis, forcing us to flee from the comfort and security of home, becoming involuntary nomads like so many refugees and migrants before us. The third movement reflects nostalgia for a return to that idealized “home” that may never be possible. The final movement is an attempt to come to terms with and embrace the nomadic life. It is inspired in part by the genre of raucous, joyous wind and brass “street music,” as exemplified by Somerville, MA’s Honk Festival. This music, performed in the streets and deeply connected to movements for social justice, draws on a wide range of folk traditions and cultures in an attempt to create a sense of community that transcends the insular, personal sense of “home” that our modern, physical houses create. It implies that, in the end, perhaps “home” is not so much a physical place as a place within a community. That sense of a place within a community – of belonging – is what we ultimately long for when we long for “home.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNomad Concerto was commissioned by Nomad Session and premiered by Nomad Session and bass clarinet soloist Jeff Anderle at ClarinetFest 2022 in Reno, NV.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577508078,"sku":null,"price":54.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/NomadConcerto-FINALp3.jpg?v=1790707101"},{"product_id":"still-here-clarinet-and-piano","title":"STILL HERE (clarinet and piano)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Bb Clarinet and Piano\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 22:00\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2022\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eConsortium Commission\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Z0H2_pLTV9U?si=kR-X29RcfaSJGqIa\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s the evening of February 25th, 2022. In the darkness, a grainy 30-second selfie video of five men on the streets of Kiev: “Good evening to all” says the gravelly voice of the man in front, holding the phone. “The leader of the bloc is here. The head of the President’s office is here. Prime Minister Schmyhal is here. Podoliak is here. The President is here. We are all here. The soldiers are here, the citizens are here, and we are here….We defend our independence. Glory to our defenders, glory to Ukraine.” No press conference. No soaring rhetoric. No lectern or flag or presidential seal. Just a 30-second video calmly stating the only fact that mattered in that moment: We Are Here. Still Here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat video and its message became the inspiration for this composition. Like millions around the world, I was deeply moved by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s calm resolve and courage, rallying his people – and the world – in the face of unprovoked Russian aggression. As I worked on the piece, I thought about this idea of “Still Here” and everything it represents. It is the rallying cry of any marginalized group that refuses, against all odds, to be destroyed or forgotten. I thought of my own Jewish ancestry and the generations upon generations who endured discrimination, expulsions, pogroms, and genocide, but who nonetheless continued to assert: We Are Still Here. Our people, our religion, our culture: Still Here. I thought of the dehumanizing institution of slavery in my own country and the extraordinary resilience of African-Americans who, through generations of violence and oppression, continued to assert through culture, religion, music: We Are Here. Still Here. I thought of how, even today in the United States, there is an ongoing attempt to effectively legislate LGBTQ people out of existence. It will not and cannot succeed. Because our LGBTQ siblings are here. They have always been here. They will always be here. Still Here. And on a more personal note, every act of artistic creation is in some sense a statement of “Still Here.” It asserts for all time that this person, this being, this soul existed. Even long after I am gone, some small shred of my soul will persist in the music I leave behind. Still Here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStill Here is scored for B-flat clarinet and piano, and is in four movements. Movement 1 is inspired most directly by the Zelensky video. It begins with solo clarinet on its lowest note (E) slowly spinning out a mournful, stately, insistent melody. Piano enters, quiet and spare at first, and both voices gradually grow in confidence and intensity. It builds to a searing high note in the clarinet, before plummeting once more to the low E and ending quietly, questioning. It is sombre, yet also defiant, like Zelensky in the video. Still Here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMovement 2 interrupts with a racing scherzo. Towards the middle, a klezmer tune nearly breaks out, and then the movement 1 theme returns, but now bopping along over a funky bass line. At first, I struggled to accept the more dance-y, playful, even humorous music that seemed to want to be part of this piece. But then I read an article about the thriving stand-up comedy scene in Ukraine, and thought about the rich comedic tradition in my own Jewish heritage. I realized that part of the idea of “Still Here” is proclaiming that we will not merely survive, but we will live fully. We will experience joy and love and laughter, despite our sorrows and oppression.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMovement 3 is a respite, a simple love song, tinged with nostalgia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA brief clarinet cadenza then leads directly into movement 4, a rollicking klezmer tune marked “defiantly joyful.” After building to a climax, the movement 2 theme returns, leading into a dramatic return of the movement 1 melody, now played with even greater intensity. The piece ends with the clarinet back on the same low E that began the whole piece, now played five consecutive times at top volume, while the piano bangs out the main theme one last time. With that defiantly fortissimo low E, the clarinet proclaims again what it has been proclaiming from the beginning of the piece, what Zelensky proclaimed in that video, and what generations of marginalized and oppressed peoples have proclaimed throughout history: We Are Still Here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis work was generously commissioned by a consortium of 52 clarinetists. I am deeply grateful to every single one of them for believing in the vision of this piece and coming along on the journey. The members of the consortium are:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlan Kay, Annie Phillips, Benjamin Mitchell, Brittany Barry, Bruce Belton, Christin Hablewitz, Christopher Nichols, Christy Banks, Debbie Rawson, Diane Barger, Dickson Grimes, Digital Clarinet Academy, Eva Tartaglia, Gary Gorczyca, Gracie Barrett, Jack Liang, Jackie Glazier, Jason Marquez, Jeremy Ruth, Jeremy Wohletz, Jo-Ann Sternberg, Joel Russell, Jonathan Aubrey, Josh Woods, Joshua Gardner, Julie Stuckenschneider, Katie Kimmel, Katie Ravenwood, Kim Fullerton, Laura Ramsey Russell, Leslie Moreau, Lynne Snyder, Macey Campobello, Marcy Bacon, Margalit Patry-Martin, Margaret Thornhill, Marguerite Levin, Mariam Adam, Nathan Soric, Peter Hansen, Ralph Skiano, Robert Spring, Shengwen Wu, Stefanie Gardner, Stephanie Grubbs, Stephen White, Tara Glaspey, Tim Sutfin, Timothy Bonenfant, Victor Drescher, Vince Dominguez \/ Claire Annette, and Wolcott Humphrey.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577802990,"sku":null,"price":34.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/StillHereforclarinetandpiano-FINAL-revisedJuly2025p3.jpg?v=1790683200"},{"product_id":"a-hymn-to-45-piano-4-hands","title":"A HYMN TO 45 (piano 4 hands)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Piano 4-Hands\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 5:45\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2020\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommissioned by Nakedeye Ensemble for pianist Ju-Ping Song as part of the Soloing2020 project.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComposed in a white heat of rage during the summer of 2020. Dedicated to all of the Enablers. We see you. We won’t forget you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A1755539010\u0026amp;color=%23ff5500\u0026amp;auto_play=false\u0026amp;hide_related=true\u0026amp;show_comments=false\u0026amp;show_user=true\u0026amp;show_reposts=false\u0026amp;show_teaser=false\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc; line-break: anywhere; word-break: normal; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap; text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-weight: 100;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/jonathan-russell-22\" title=\"Jonathan Russell\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJonathan Russell\u003c\/a\u003e · \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/jonathan-russell-22\/hymn-to-45-for-piano-4-hands-midi\" title=\"A Hymn to 45, for piano 4 hands - MIDI\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eA Hymn to 45, for piano 4 hands - MIDI\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577966830,"sku":null,"price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/Hymnto45-4-handversionp3.jpg?v=1790678481"},{"product_id":"down-by-the-riverside-8-bass-clarinets","title":"DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE (8 bass clarinets)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: 8 Bass Clarinets\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 3:30\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2024\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePurchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePDF format.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/865ZfCCyT90?si=8VEYTkis42D1JlhV\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643578786030,"sku":null,"price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/DownbytheRiversidearr.for8bassclarinetsp2.jpg?v=1790544813"},{"product_id":"still-here-clarinet-and-orchestra-version","title":"STILL HERE (solo clarinet and orchestra)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: S\u003cspan\u003eolo Clarinet and Orchestra: 2 fl, 2 ob, 2 cl, 2 bsn, 2 hn, 2 tpt, timp, perc, harp, strings\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 22:00\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2025\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wIH_Z_oLJa8?si=F95ZxhqF3wlRwUXW\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s the evening of February 25th, 2022. In the darkness, a grainy 30-second selfie video of five men on the streets of Kiev: “Good evening to all” says the gravelly voice of the man in front, holding the phone. “The leader of the bloc is here. The head of the President’s office is here. Prime Minister Schmyhal is here. Podoliak is here. The President is here. We are all here. The soldiers are here, the citizens are here, and we are here….We defend our independence. Glory to our defenders, glory to Ukraine.” No press conference. No soaring rhetoric. No lectern or flag or presidential seal. Just a 30-second video calmly stating the only fact that mattered in that moment: We Are Here. Still Here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat video and its message became the inspiration for this composition. Like millions around the world, I was deeply moved by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s calm resolve and courage, rallying his people – and the world – in the face of unprovoked Russian aggression. As I worked on the piece, I thought about this idea of “Still Here” and everything it represents. It is the rallying cry of any marginalized group that refuses, against all odds, to be destroyed or forgotten. I thought of my own Jewish ancestry and the generations upon generations who endured discrimination, expulsions, pogroms, and genocide, but who nonetheless continued to assert: We Are Still Here. Our people, our religion, our culture: Still Here. I thought of the dehumanizing institution of slavery in my own country and the extraordinary resilience of African-Americans who, through generations of violence and oppression, continued to assert through culture, religion, music: We Are Here. Still Here. I thought of how, even today in the United States, there is an ongoing attempt to effectively legislate LGBTQ+ people out of existence. It will not and cannot succeed. Because our LGBTQ+ siblings are here. They have always been here. They will always be here. Still Here. And on a more personal note, every act of artistic creation is in some sense a statement of “Still Here.” It asserts for all time that this person, this being, this soul existed. Even long after I am gone, some small shred of my soul will persist in the music I leave behind. Still Here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStill Here was originally scored for B-flat clarinet and piano, and is in four movements. Movement 1 is inspired most directly by the Zelensky video. It begins with solo clarinet on its lowest note (E) slowly spinning out a mournful, stately, insistent melody. Strings enter, quiet and spare at first, but gradually growing in confidence and intensity. The music builds to a searing high note in the clarinet, before plummeting once more to the low E and ending quietly, questioning. It is sombre, yet also defiant, like Zelensky in the video. Still Here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMovement 2 interrupts with a racing scherzo. Towards the middle, a klezmer tune nearly breaks out, and then the movement 1 theme returns, but now bopping along over a funky bass line. At first, I struggled to accept the more dance-y, playful, even humorous music that seemed to want to be part of this piece. But then I read an article about the thriving stand-up comedy scene in Ukraine, and thought about the rich comedic tradition in my own Jewish heritage. I realized that part of the idea of “Still Here” is proclaiming that we will not merely survive, but we will live fully. We will experience joy and love and laughter, despite our sorrows and oppression.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMovement 3 is a respite, a simple love song, tinged with nostalgia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA brief clarinet cadenza then leads directly into movement 4, a rollicking klezmer tune marked “defiantly joyful.” After building to a climax, the movement 2 theme returns, leading into a dramatic return of the movement 1 melody, now played with even greater intensity. The piece ends with the clarinet back on the same low E that began the whole piece, now played five consecutive times at top volume, while the orchestra bangs out the main theme one last time. With that defiantly fortissimo low E, the clarinet proclaims again what it has been proclaiming from the beginning of the piece, what Zelensky proclaimed in that video, and what generations of marginalized and oppressed peoples have proclaimed throughout history: We Are Still Here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe original clarinet-and-piano version of this work was generously commissioned by a consortium of 52 clarinetists. I am deeply grateful to every single one of them for believing in the vision of this piece and coming along on the journey. The members of the consortium are:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlan Kay, Annie Phillips, Benjamin Mitchell, Brittany Barry, Bruce Belton, Christin Hablewitz, Christopher Nichols, Christy Banks, Debbie Rawson, Diane Barger, Dickson Grimes, Digital Clarinet Academy, Eva Tartaglia, Gary Gorczyca, Gracie Barrett, Jack Liang, Jackie Glazier, Jason Marquez, Jeremy Ruth, Jeremy Wohletz, Jo-Ann Sternberg, Joel Russell, Jonathan Aubrey, Josh Woods, Joshua Gardner, Julie Stuckenschneider, Katie Kimmel, Katie Ravenwood, Kim Fullerton, Laura Ramsey Russell, Leslie Moreau, Lynne Snyder, Macey Campobello, Marcy Bacon, Margalit Patry-Martin, Margaret Thornhill, Marguerite Levin, Mariam Adam, Nathan Soric, Peter Hansen, Ralph Skiano, Robert Spring, Shengwen Wu, Stefanie Gardner, Stephanie Grubbs, Stephen White, Tara Glaspey, Tim Sutfin, Timothy Bonenfant, Victor Drescher, Vince Dominguez \/ Claire Annette, and Wolcott Humphrey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis orchestral version was created for performance at ClarinetFest 2025.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643578851566,"sku":null,"price":245.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/StillHere_arrangedfororchestra-FINAL-SCOREp4.jpg?v=1790543959"},{"product_id":"we-reflect-we-grieve-we-rise-1","title":"WE REFLECT, WE GRIEVE, WE RISE (clarinet, bass clarinet, and piano)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: \u003cspan\u003eClarinet, Bass Clarinet, Piano\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 19:00\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2025\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eConsortium Commission\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/V5PvaOOn0f4?si=4FcO4kBWEZhs5sGS\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"page\" title=\"Page 2\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"layoutArea\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"column\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis work was generously commissioned by a consortium of 38 co-commissioners. The members of the consortium include the following individuals and ensembles:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKelsey Paquin \u0026amp; Asher Carlson, Consortium Leads; Margali Grenier, Plattsburgh Clarinet Choir; Matthias Hofer; Katie Rice; Chris Nichols; Stephen White; Stephen White; Julie Stuckenschneider; Josh Woods; Jeff Anderle; Celine Ferro; Osiris Molina; Meghan Merciers, DMA; Christopher Kirkpatrick; James Aldous; Elisabeth Stimpert; Tucker Hall-Klingensmith; Dark Harmony Duo: Johnny Engelke \u0026amp; Sarah Lucas-Page; Lucas Gianini; Julianne Doyle; Christine Hoerning; Joel Russell \u0026amp; Mari Gottdiener; Franklin Acosta; Dr. Karen Luttik; Matthew Weger; Deadwood: Taylor Barlow \u0026amp; Luis Cruz; Brian Almanza; Marie-Julie Chagnon; Thomas Piercy; Dillan Francis; Elizabeth Gunlogson; Carl Balvanz; Erin Cameron; Kristin Fray; Bill Kalinkos; Kevin Walko \u0026amp; Mikey Arbulu; Wes Warnhoff; Andrew Seaver\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNOTE: The bass clarinet part can also be played by bassoon or cello. Those parts can be included at no additional cost, on request.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643579146478,"sku":null,"price":44.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/WeReflectWeGrieveWeRise-FINALp3_656fcce1-d649-4164-8b66-f7cd333222bd.jpg?v=1790532046"}],"url":"https:\/\/jonrussellmusic.com\/collections\/political-music.oembed","provider":"My Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}