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A New Work for Wind Ensemble & Screen

About the Project

I’m very excited to be collaborating with filmmaker Cuyler Bryant on a new piece for winds and film. The piece will be a 15 minute work for winds and screen, and will be inspired by the beautiful photography of iconic American photographer Ansel Adams.  Adams is best known for his black and white landscape photography of the American West, and in 1941, the National Parks Service commissioned Adams to photograph the National Parks.  The result was hundreds of wonderful photographs, all of which are owned by the National Archives and in the public domain.  Therefore, we can use these images for this project, incorporating them in many unique and interesting ways.  This will not simply be a slideshow of Adam’s beautiful work – rather, the film will highlight the many perspectives and intricacies of his work by creating an artistic and compelling film which reflects Adam’s love for our environment, his appreciation for natural beauty, and his craftsmanship.

Cuyler and I will be working closely, creating a unified work of music and film inspired by Adams’ work. The video above is a little taste of the beautiful work that Cuyler does, and the music is from my wind ensemble work “Lauda.”


Project Timeline

The work will be completed by the end of 2012, and sheet music (and film on DVD) will be shipped to consortium members by January 10, 2013.  Consortium members can plan for premiere performances as early as February 2013, and consortium members will have exclusive performance rights to the piece through December 31, 2013.


FAQs

  • How much does it cost to join the consortium?
    The cost to be a consortium participant is $500.  The fee will be due in 2 equal payments – one when the participant joins the consortium, and one in December 2012 when the piece is completed.  The first payment secures your place in the consortium, and the second payment is required before your sheet music will be shipped. Ensembles are welcome to pay the full $500 up front if they choose.  If this payment schedule presents a problem for you, contact us and we will try to arrange something that will work for you.
  • What kind of technological gear will I need to perform the piece?
    The ideal setup will be a large screen located above and behind the wind ensemble, or two screens placed on either side of the ensemble.  The film will come on 2 DVDs – one a data DVD containing an HD quicktime file to be played from a computer (ideal), and a DVD that will play in standard DVD players (slightly lower resolution).  So you will need a computer (or DVD player), 1 projector for each screen, and a screen to project the film onto.  There will be no audio on the film, so you do not need any audio equipment.  A small screen monitor displaying the film directly in front of the conductor is ideal, but not necessary.
  • Is there a click track? How does the conductor stay in sync with the film?
    No, there is not a click track.  The film will contain certain visual “cues” to the conductor which will alert the conductor to cue a new musical section.   There will be occasional points in the music that will be aleatoric in nature and allow the conductor to move to a new section of music without skipping anything.  It will be smooth and easy, I promise.
  • If I join the consortium, what exactly do I get?
    - Your name and the name of your ensemble will be listed on the score.
    - Your ensemble, along with the other consortium members, will have the exclusive performance rights to the piece through the end of 2013.
    - You will receive a bound score, full set of printed parts, and the film on 2 DVDs (one to play from a computer, and one to play from a DVD player).
  • How difficult will the music be?
    The music is intended to be a grade 5 level work.

 

About the Filmmaker
Cuyler Bryant is a filmmaker living in Boston, Mass., where he directs and produces short films and commercials. Depending on the project, he may also call himself an animator, photographer, or motion designer.

Join the Consortium!
If you are interested in joining the consortium or have a question, feel free to submit the short form below.  Or, if you prefer to send Tim or Steve an email:
Timothy Shade, Director of the Bethel College Wind Ensemble and Consortium Leader: tshade@bethelks.edu.   Steve: steve@stevedanyew.com.