March [the movie] (2012)

for Trombone and Piano

Grade 5 • 7:30 • published by Sonic Soundscape Productions

PROGRAM NOTES

Notes from the composer:  I always thought of March as a rather odd month.  After what often feels like a long winter, March often entices you with a short period of warm, pleasant weather, follow by bursts of icy, cold winter again.  “In like a Lion, out like a lamb” or vice-versa, I could never remember the correct way of the saying but it feels more in reality like the lamb comes first.  But then, there is the vernal equinox, better know as the first day of spring (March 20th).  At least where I live, this day is accompanied by several inches of snow which begs the point, how much longer is winter going to continue.  Perhaps this day would be a better predictor of the length of winter than February 2nd.

Then, there is the Ides of March.  Funny that we don’t really think about the Ides of June, or the Ides of August, and I guess the Ides of April has another more appropriate and sometimes spiteful name, “tax day”.  March 15th, the Ides of March does have a bit of history though as it was the day Julius Caesar was stabbed to death by a group of conspirators.  So with all the oddities of March, it sounds like we could have the makings for a Hollywood movie, and here is the music to accompany it.

March was composed for the composer’s daughter, Rebecca, for her senior trombone recital at The Ohio State University.

INSTRUMENTATION

Trombone

Piano Accompaniment