Dark Side of The City
Composed 2023 | Published at Randall Standridge Music, LLC
Duration: 3 minutes | Grade 2.5 Concert Band
This was a fun piece to create. I composed this work around the end of my first full-time teaching contract as a leave-replacement band director for Readington Middle School. It was an incredible opportunity and the students and co-teachers were amazing to work with. One of the unique subjects that I brought into the field was my involvement with composition. Wind band writing has always been an interest to me since I was in school bands myself, and I thought introducing other composers and other compositions (other than the ones we were preparing for our concerts). I wanted to expand the band culture that they are in. Near the end of my contract, the co-teachers and I thought it would be a great idea to have my students sight-read one of my pieces. Most of my pieces are too hard for them, so I decided at the last minute to write a completely new piece for them, one that will be easier but challenging enough to continue developing their sight-reading skills. I’m happy to say that my students loved it.