The program notes below may be used verbatim for publications associated with performances of the works at no cost.\u00a0 Educational use is allowed with proper citation.\u00a0 Any other reproduction for profit is forbidden without consent from the author.<\/p>\n
A Trip to Mount Vernon<\/i> <\/strong>(2010) for piano<\/p>\n A Trip to Mount Vernon<\/em> is written in a pandiatonic style after the techniques of Aaron Copland.\u00a0 Initial work on the piece began as an assignment in a Copland Analysis class, taught by Dr. Glenn Smith.\u00a0 The present version of the piece was expanded from the original stylistic etude to explore more possibilities on the instrument for which it was written.<\/p>\n A Year for Love<\/i><\/strong> (2010) for violin and piano<\/p>\n A Year for Love<\/em> was written for and is dedicated to Holly Ann Taylor, the composer\u2019s wife.\u00a0 Karen W. Randall, a long time friend of the family, played the piano for the premiere.\u00a0 The violin being used on the premiere was an early 20th<\/sup> century Hill violin that belonged to the composer\u2019s grandmother, Dorothea Mikelson.\u00a0 The three women represented in the performance are highly respected by the composer for their strength, love, and inspiration.<\/p>\n American Poet Suite<\/i> <\/strong>(2009) for string orchestra<\/p>\n American Poet Suite<\/em> is a collection of four movements, each relating in various ways to a poem from a famous American poet.\u00a0 “Lady Lazarus” is a poem written by Sylvia Plath (1932-63).\u00a0 Plath had the artistic ability to create beautifully moving works from the tragedies in her life.\u00a0 The theme of resurrection from tragedy is prevalent in\u00a0her poem, “Lady Lazarus.”\u00a0 In the music, themes of descent and resurrection\u00a0are expressed through\u00a0descending and\u00a0ascending three-note motives.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Negro Speaks of Rivers\u201d is a poem written by James Mercer Langston Hughes (1902-67).\u00a0 An innovator of jazz poetry, Hughes included this poem in his first book of poetry, The Weary Blues.\u00a0 In the second movement of this piece, elements of blues find their way into the music through the use of chords and a walking bass.<\/p>\n Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (1830-86) was eccentric in many ways and not recognized as a great American poet until long after her death.\u00a0 Along with her personality, the meter and rhyme schemes she employed did not fit the popular norm of her time.\u00a0 The third movement of this piece features \u201cHow Happy is the Little Stone.\u201d\u00a0 The carefree nature of the piece fits that of the stone in the poem, which carries on without judgment \u201cin casual simplicity.\u201d<\/p>\n Edgar Allan Poe (1809-49) was a writer known for his dark works.\u00a0 \u201cThe Raven,\u201d one of his most successful poems, is one such work.\u00a0 The poet used several techniques to keep the intrigue and attention of the reader.\u00a0 Narrative, along with imagery, adds to the haunting quality of the work (i.e. \u201cWhile I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping\u201d).\u00a0 The use of trochaic octameter (a line consisting of eight metrical feet) lends to the flow of the long, poetic lines.\u00a0 The feeling of trochaic octameter can be heard in the opening bars of this last movement.\u00a0 Sound effects in the piece are used like imagery in the poem.<\/p>\n An Angel on Earth<\/i>\u00a0<\/strong>(2015) for string orchestra and piano<\/p>\n Writings, artwork, and stories of angels date back thousands of years spanning time, space, and religions. Divine messengers, they connect people to God. An Angel on Earth is dedicated to my daughter, Jacqueline Louise Taylor. With her birth, God sent me the message of His love.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Aria for String Orchestra <\/em><\/strong>(2020) for string orchestra with optional piano and novice violin and viola parts<\/p>\n Arias are melodic vocal works found in operas. They serve to both heighten drama in operas and highlight the talents of the performers who sing them. For centuries, composers like Handel, Mozart, and Puccini have used arias to feature famous singers, to the delight of audiences.<\/p>\n Aria for String Orchestra was composed to highlight the artistry of Rachael Gladys Altekruse and her students. Operatic style melodies are passed across the ensemble, providing performers in each section opportunities to showcase their skills and step into the spotlight. Loosely based on da capo aria form, all voices unite to display the strength of the orchestra when the opening melody is reintroduced (in the da capo section).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Character Motives<\/i> <\/strong>(2012) for wind quintet<\/p>\n Character Motives <\/em>provides a contrast to the body of sound created by the fluid mix of woodwind quintet timbres in The Color of Peace.<\/em>\u00a0 The two pieces may be performed independently or as a set, provided The Color of Peace <\/em>is played first.<\/p>\n A musical cryptogram is when letters taken from a composer’s name, in whole or part, are represented by pitches.\u00a0 Five musical cryptograms may be heard in Character Motives.<\/em>\u00a0 Each is the basis for an abstract caricature depicting aspects of each represented composer’s style.\u00a0 Only pitches derived from the cryptograms are used in the given sections, though overlaps occur during transitions.\u00a0 Some are more obvious to hear than others. . .<\/p>\n Notable influences on the composer for this piece include 8 Etudes and a Fantasy<\/em> by Elliott Carter, Aphorisms<\/em> by Dmitri Shostakovich, and available audio, score releases, and advertisements of works by Michael van der Aa.<\/p>\n Daydream<\/i><\/strong> (2012) for string orchestra (also available with harp)\u00a0 Purchase<\/a> Listen<\/a><\/p>\n Daydream <\/em>is an Impressionistic sounding piece for string orchestra with optional harp.\u00a0 Daydreams allow us a departure from the day to day with a moment in time where our thoughts are free to wonder uninhibited.\u00a0 Once thought of as a lazy pause, daydreams are now thought to be a potential time for great creativity (be it artistic, scientific, mathematical, or other).<\/p>\n Fanfare for the Dreamkeeper<\/i> <\/strong>(2010) for beginning string orchestra and basic percussion<\/p>\n Fanfares have traditionally been written for trumpets and other brass instruments (many times with percussion) for leaders, special occasions, or celebratory subjects.\u00a0 Fanfares have been used for the entrance of kings, for \u201cthe common man\u201d, and more recently in video games to mark the accomplishment of a major task by the gamer.\u00a0 Fanfare for the Dreamkeeper <\/i>is a piece that allows the developing string player to experience the excitement of performing a fanfare.\u00a0 The title is based on the idea that a leader should be the dreamkeeper of the people.<\/p>\n Giant Suite<\/i> <\/strong>(2009) for beginning orchestra (published by Ludwig Masters Publications)\u00a0 Purchase<\/a> Listen<\/a><\/p>\n Guardians of the Realm<\/i>\u00a0<\/strong>(2016) for string orchestra and optional percussion<\/p>\n Guardians of the Realm<\/em> is a lionhearted work reminiscent of times long ago. Contrasts in styles and modalities make explorations of both right and left hand technique engaging and relevant. Divisi strings parts challenge performers comfortable with shifting, while providing a more accessible role for those solidifying fundamentals. With fierce themes and aspirations of valor, orchestras will enliven in audiences and awaken in themselves, the Guardians of the Realm<\/em>.<\/p>\n Homage<\/strong> <\/em>(2012) for bass trombone and piano<\/p>\n Homage<\/em> was written as a memorial to Stravinsky as we celebrate the centennials of his three early ballets.\u00a0 The work is dedicated to and written for Drew Comparin and Emily Grimm for their support of new music.\u00a0 It was composed as part of a twelve hour challenge, where composers were given two or three randomly selected instruments to write for on a Russian theme as part of \u201cComposer\u2019s Week 2012\u201d at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Taylor\u00a0is grateful for the musicians who breathe life into his music and those engaged in listening.<\/p>\n In Dreams of Awakening<\/i> <\/strong>(2009) for wind symphony<\/p>\n In Dreams of Awakening<\/em> is derived entirely from the basic melodic materials heard in the main theme.\u00a0 Though there is no separation between them, the piece is divided into five segments.\u00a0 \u201cElements of a Dream\u201d opens the piece with fragments of the melody and effects such as pitch bends, multiphonics, and unmeasured accelerando.\u00a0 The main melody is fully realized at the \u201cProclamation of Ideals\u201d segment.\u00a0 \u201cMeditation on a Course\u201d is marked by wavering pitches performed by most of the ensemble.\u00a0 A slow fugato section on the retrograde inversion of pitches from the melody is initiated by soloists before descending through the brass and into the percussion.\u00a0 The voice of a solo oboe restates the melody in an augmented form before the next segment.\u00a0 \u201cAwakening\u201d is woven together with ostinato.\u00a0 The segment is a play on the second part of the main melody.\u00a0 The final segment is the \u201cCall to Action,\u201d where the focus is returning to the main melody presented by the entire ensemble.<\/p>\n The words dreams and awakening have many meanings and connotations.\u00a0 The composer chose the given title in hopes of initiating creative connections by the listeners and performers as part of an individual process they may be willing to bring to life by sharing.\u00a0 The composer would be delighted to hear your experiences with this piece.<\/p>\n Lunar Chase<\/i> <\/strong>(2010) for developing wind symphony<\/p>\n Lunar Chase<\/em> was written for the Lanier Middle School Wind Ensemble (Fairfax, VA) under the direction of Bryan Miles for the November 2010 Virginia Music Educators Conference in Norfolk, VA.\u00a0 The rhythms, techniques, and form are based on elements from five scores the director selected that best represented his ensemble.\u00a0 Mr. Miles and his students went to great lengths to put on an outstanding performance, including summer and weekend rehearsals, weekly sectionals, and master classes.\u00a0 Many of the performers featured on this recital, including Mr. Miles, work with these students on a regular basis or with other students to pass on their passion for music.<\/p>\n Midnight Waltz of the Frog Prince<\/i> <\/strong>(2005) for string orchestra and optional piano<\/p>\n The fairytale of the frog prince has captured imaginations for centuries, first published by the Brothers Grimm in 1812. Midnight Waltz of the Frog Prince is a whimsical waltz inspired by the amiable frog. The lyrical melody is an enticing memorable foreground for the fully engaging accompaniment. Students get the chance to explore the many timbres their instruments produce as col legno, pizzicato, and flautando make this beautiful piece come alive.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Mission to Mars<\/i> <\/strong>(2019) for string orchestra<\/p>\n Mission to Mars invokes the wonder of what it might be like to journey to the fourth planet from the sun, the \u201cRed Planet,\u201d which has captured the imagination of stargazers for thousands of years. It is exciting to think one among us may someday reach the planet that has inspired mythology, driven technological advances, and emboldened our quest into \u201cthe final frontier.\u201d Mission to Mars broadens horizons with original melodies and contemporary harmonies, while paying homage to interstellar themed masterworks that have come before.<\/p>\n The piece was commissioned for the Vienna Summer Strings 2019 tribute to outer space. It is dedicated to the director, teachers, and students of the program. May their imaginations be as ever expansive as the universe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Prayer<\/i><\/strong> (2011) for baritone, crystal bowl and piano<\/p>\n The text for Prayer <\/em>is taken from the prayer commonly known as “The Prayer of St. Francais of Assisi.”\u00a0 The complete text for the prayer may be divided into two sections.\u00a0 The first section is used in the present version of Prayer.<\/em>\u00a0 The composer has plans to write a contrasting movement for the second section.<\/p>\n Non-traditional notation were used to write Prayer <\/em>in order to more accurately represent the composer’s thoughts of\u00a0musical effect.\u00a0 The piece is composed without barlines, with slanted beams to represent slight accelerations and decelerations, and with eight and sixteenth notes for piano beamed in terms of note groupings rather than by beat.\u00a0 These specifications were made with the aim of liberating the performers, rather than restricting them.\u00a0 As such, the score may be treated as a set of guidelines for a convicning artistic performance of the piece.<\/p>\n Premier Symphony<\/i> <\/strong>(2011) for beginning orchestra (published by Ludwig Masters Publications)\u00a0 Purchase<\/a> Listen<\/a><\/p>\n Rise of the Phoenix<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>(2014) for developing string orchestra<\/p>\n The phoenix is a mythical bird that rises to life from ashes. Colorful and majestic, the phoenix lets out cries that are said to sound like music. After a lifetime that spans centuries, death comes to the bird by fire. According to Greek mythology, death for the phoenix is only temporary as a new phoenix rises from those ashes to fly and sing once more.<\/p>\n The rebirth of the phoenix has captivated and inspired humanity for thousands of years. Legends of the bird are found in different forms with various names across cultures. In music, The Firebird<\/em> by Igor Stravinsky was inspired by the Russian tale of such a bird. It is considered one of the greatest works of the 20th<\/sup> century and is still performed as a ballet and as an orchestral suite over one hundred years later.<\/p>\n Rise of the Phoenix<\/em> contains melodic fragments that assemble into full melody. This material is then cycled throughout the piece and across the orchestra. While form and driving rhythms embody the \u201crise of the phoenix\u201d in myth, introductory level octatonic leanings and mixed meter provide a nod to the 20th<\/sup> century masterwork by Stravinsky.<\/p>\n Shiftin\u2019 Around Blues<\/i><\/strong> <\/i>(2005) an introduction to shifting for string orchestras\u00a0 Purchase<\/a> Listen<\/a><\/p>\n Shiftin\u2019 Around Blues<\/em> is a fun, methodical way to introduce shifting into third position on the D and A strings to violin, viola, cello, and bass players. It may be used by an entire string orchestra or for private instruction. Shifting is an exciting step for advancing string students. Shiftin\u2019 Around Blues<\/em> captures that excitement while focusing on good framework, relaxed technique, and aural skills.<\/p>\n Checklists are provided to serve as daily good form reminders for the student and may be used by the teacher as weekly assessments. While play-along recordings are available, a \u201cfollow the leader\u201d approach may also be used to showcase more advanced students or allow for greater teacher modeled instruction. Once students feel comfortable playing through level three, students will be ready and eager to expand their \u201ctechnique toolbox\u201d with additional methods.<\/p>\n Play-along tracks are available for teachers and students through Amazon, CD Baby, Google, and iTunes.<\/p>\n Soaring with the Dragons<\/i> <\/strong>(2022) for string orchestra and optional piano<\/p>\n Imagine flying amongst magnificent, magical creatures in Soaring with the Dragons. Uplifting major melodies contrasted by explorations into darker minor modal sections take performers and audience members on a high-flying musical adventure. The piece remains in the key of D major, yet provides plenty of variety through accents, pizzicato, dynamics, and a contrasting modal section without the need for extensions or slurs. Suited for young musicians, Soaring with the Dragons is an attainable string serenade with level-appropriate doublings, ranges, and techniques.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Symphonic Overture<\/i> <\/strong>(2012) for full orchestra<\/p>\n The Color of Peace<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>(2011) for wind quintet<\/p>\n The dance in silence becomes an expression of worth at its most natural.\u00a0 A quiet act with understanding enlivens comedy of our tragedies and we find words purified in further abstraction.\u00a0 Art resonates through our hands the trials of life as the listener becomes the creator of his own musical experience.\u00a0 And in our finer moments we find in ourselves, the color of peace ready to sound with the world.<\/p>\n The Grandfather Clock<\/i> <\/strong>(2011) for string orchestra<\/p>\n The Grandfather Clock <\/em>was written for the Friends & Family Chamber Orchestra (FFCO), directed by F. Wayne Taylor.\u00a0 It was premiered at St. Mark\u2019s Lutheran Church in Springfield, VA on June 5, 2011, Wayne and Ginny Taylor\u2019s 35th wedding anniversary, at a concert honoring Pastor Duayne Carlson, who married them.<\/p>\n Styles from other pieces the orchestra regularly programs can be found within the three movement work.\u00a0 \u201cFrom Westminster\u201d is a nod to some of the English leanings in the orchestra\u2019s repertoire.\u00a0 It is composed of scales and chords extracted and transposed from the melody Westminster Quarters<\/i>, made famous by Big Ben at the Palace of Westminster.\u00a0 The second movement, \u201cReflections in a Face,\u201d contains audible reflections heard melodically as well as across the orchestra.\u00a0 The movement is at the same time static and fluid as \u201creflections\u201d are perceived from different angles.\u00a0 \u201cThe Dance of Hands\u201d is just that, concluding the piece in a playful hoedown style.<\/p>\n To Pieces<\/em> <\/strong>(2012) for viola and cello<\/p>\n To Pieces<\/i> is a set of variations.\u00a0 The variations are intervallic, rhythmic, and timbral explorations of motives taken from the theme, rather than rhythmic and modal variations on the entire theme.\u00a0 While the complete theme is varied, it is done so in fragments.<\/p>\n Like the work, the title may be considered abstract in its simplicity.\u00a0 One may fall to pieces or love someone to pieces.\u00a0 When shattered to pieces, an object may invoke pain or refract light in a beautiful array of crystalline patterns.\u00a0 In the search for understanding abstractions, the meanings we find reveal depths of ourselves and gems of humanity.<\/p>\n To September 11, 2001<\/i> <\/strong>(2001) for clarinet, violin, cello and string bass<\/p>\n To September 11, 2001<\/i> for B-flat clarinet, violin, cello, and string bass was composed within three months of the tragic event.\u00a0 The attacks which claimed the lives of so many innocent people also attempted to expose the weakness of a nation.\u00a0 Instead, in an overwhelming display of humanity, a nation was unified and rose up in support to show that the many lives were not lost in vein.\u00a0 The strength of a nation prevailed through that humanity and instead exposed the weakness of the forces behind the cause of the tragedy.\u00a0 The message sent was clear.\u00a0 In the closing bars of the piece, all instruments join in unison to quote from a Lutheran Agnus Dei, the line, \u201cGrant us peace.\u201d<\/p>\n To September 11, 2001<\/i> is dedicated to those who fell, the nation that rose, the members of the ensemble for whom the piece was written for (Rebecca Friedman, Michelle Haines, Tommy Daigle, and Nicholas Butcher), and Dr. Glenn Smith for the insight and guidance he provided, without which the piece could never have been written.<\/p>\n Ulysses\u2019 Quest<\/i> <\/strong>(2008) for developing string orchestra<\/p>\n Ulysses\u2019 Quest<\/i> uses a bold theme to take performers and audience members alike on an exciting musical journey.\u00a0 After stating the theme in the opening bars, performers expand their range to explore the motive\u2019s possibilities.\u00a0 A descent into the mysterious middle section stretches ears and finger patterns before control is tested in the slower section.\u00a0 Finally the piece comes home as the return of the theme is presented in one final round.<\/p>\n Ulysses\u2019 Quest <\/i>by Mark A. Taylor captures the heroic determination of a literary character with deep roots.\u00a0 Ulysses (Greek: Odysseus<\/i>) has been a staple in literature dating back over 2,000 years.\u00a0 His quests have been recorded in Homer\u2019s Iliad<\/i> and Odyssey<\/i>, Dante\u2019s Divine Comedy<\/i>, Tennyson\u2019s poem Ulysses<\/i>, and Joyce\u2019s novel Ulysses<\/i> (among others).<\/p>\n Upward!<\/i> <\/strong>(2023) for string orchestra and optional piano<\/p>\n Adventuresome and exuberant, Upward! captures the spirit of those looking to take on the world! Like the title, the main musical idea and its variations effortlessly ascend throughout the work. Performers are able to master each new challenge in stride, from simple quarter note bow strokes to optional double stops to energized eighth notes. Playable with open strings and a one octave D major scale, a first position bass part, and simple phrasing, Upward! is easily accessible for musicians and audiences alike!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The program notes below may be used verbatim for publications associated with performances of the works at no cost.\u00a0 Educational use is allowed with proper citation.\u00a0 Any other reproduction for profit is forbidden without consent from the author. 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