2026 First-Time Editors’ Choice Honorees: Instrumental Composers

Editors’ Choice, one of our flagship services, represents the very best new music for every ensemble. The J.W. Pepper staff reviews hundreds of selections from a broad range of publishers, awarding only the highest quality titles our signature red check mark.

In addition to being a helpful tool for teachers and directors, Editors’ Choice represents a major career aspiration for composers and arrangers! For the second year running, we’re featuring composers who’ve had one of their instrumental pieces chosen for the first time this year. Read on to learn about the honorees and their selected works.

For more inspiration, check out our 2025 First-Time Editors’ Choice Composers blog!

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First-Time Editors’ Choice Instrumental Composers

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Countdown is the musical embodiment of anticipation—the eerie feeling that something is approaching, and it’s probably not good. Inspired by film scores, particularly the music of Hans Zimmer, it uses tonic drones and repeated motifs to create palpable tension. As an orchestra teacher, I’ve seen firsthand how much students enjoy performing music that is eerie, suspenseful, and just a little unsettling. I wanted to capture those emotions in a piece that remains accessible to beginning orchestra students while giving them the excitement of performing dramatic, cinematic music. Special performance considerations make Countdown flexible for a variety of ensembles. An optional Violin II part doubles the viola line in treble clef, while fully doubled cello and contrabass parts allow ensembles without violas or contrabasses to perform the piece in its entirety. Start the countdown…and get ready for a thrilling and rewarding musical experience your students won’t soon forget!

Facebook: Lucas Buterbaugh
Instagram: @lucasthecellobu

Growing up, I was captivated by mysteries and adventures involving the ancient world. Seeing heroes and villains attempting to rob tombs, steal arks, destroy artefacts, and awaken souls that should not be disturbed was both exciting and terrifying. Dance of the Ancient Spirits is a fantasy of one such adventure. A tired and lonely archaeologist exasperated at not finding the tomb of a merciless queen, mistakenly opens a casket of a long-forgotten warrior sworn to protect the queen at all costs. From the darkness rises a spirit, standing guard to what now appears a doorway – finally the entrance to the queen’s burial chamber. But the warrior spirit has called forth the queen’s guard who now swirl around the archaeologist in a terrifying dance.

In the angry dust and confusion, the archaeologist runs into a small antechamber to hide and wait as the spirits hunt their prey. Knowing they are drawing near, the archaeologist runs out of the chamber and heads for the temple entrance, hearing the spirits closing in from behind. Eventually making it out, the door to the temple slams shut and the spirits retreat to their posts, waiting for intruders, and protecting their beloved queen for eternity.

My love of both concert band music and contemporary jazz naturally led to the creation of Slightly, a piece that brings these two influences into conversation. In writing this work, I aimed to create a rich harmonic palette while incorporating jazz influenced melodic phrasing and articulation. The title Slightly refers to my fascination with the subtle details that give music its emotional weight. Small shifts in harmony, articulation, phrasing, and colour can have a profound effect and help us connect with music in ways that feel honest and deeply personal. I think of Slightly as being slightly slow, featuring slightly colourful dissonances, and being slightly sentimental. The title is a reminder that sometimes it is the smallest details that leave the greatest impression.

Website: www.wesleycheang.com
Instagram: @cheangwesley

With the concert band piece Creepin’ Monsters I wanted to create a fun piece for fall concerts that is attainable for bands at that time of year, while also serving as a good teaching piece that reinforces accidentals, counting, and precision. Mysterious sounds and creepy monsters sneaking through the house give this beginning band work a playful character through quirky melodies and imaginative percussion colors. Flexatone and vibraslap effects add humor, while dissonant harmonies and crisp staccato writing sharpen articulation. Frequent entrances on beat two also strengthen rhythmic awareness.

So Long… was written for a friend of mine, Jonathan Adamo, whose school, Dan F. Long Middle School, was closing its doors—hence the play on words in the title. The Dan F. Long Jazz Ensemble performed this work on their final concert as a goodbye to their beloved school. There are not many opportunities to feature baritone saxophone players, so I was excited to write this hip, film-noir-inspired piece to give directors an opportunity to showcase those players.

Boughs of Latin is a groovin’ Latin arrangement of “Deck the Halls” that can serve as a great introduction to Latin style for young jazz ensembles. This piece is quick to teach and learn, while maintaining a focus on groove throughout. As I like to do at this level, I gave the director the option of having an improvised solo, written solo, or soli. This allows bands to be successful at their individual level of development.

Website: www.c3compositions.com

Hidden Treasures is a fun, adventurous young-band piece written for a brave 4-year-old named Luca, who beat leukemia after 28 months of chemotherapy. After completing his treatments, Luca and his family wrote an adventurous pirate story with the Sing Me a Story Foundation, which I happily transformed into a short band piece that was performed for Luca! Luca’s story takes you on a voyage to find the hidden treasure left behind by an infamous pirate. The piece begins with an upbeat motive to get everyone in the mood before the jaunty pirate tune takes over. The fun is soon derailed as a storm emerges, causing large waves, thunder, and lightning that the pirate crew must navigate through. After perseverance and teamwork, the pirates get through the storm safe & sound and reach the hidden treasure, ending this epic journey over the seas with a triumphant finish! 

Website: www.williecornishjr.com
Instagram: @wcjrmusic
TikTok: @wcjrmusic

Much of my recent work has been heavily influenced by one question: “How can I write age-appropriate literature that is still fun and engaging to play and to listen to?” Strike the Iron! is no exception to this rule. Heavily influenced by my career change to a middle/high school private lesson instructor, this piece draws on the knowledge I’ve gained about the learning process of young musicians. I wrote with the intention of pushing the limits of what middle schoolers could achieve without forcing them beyond their capability for success, and I believe this piece found a strong balance between those two goals. Strike the Iron! is a piece that I am excited to share, and has been the catalyst of inspiration for my most recent writings.

YouTube: @danielgreene_music
Facebook: @danielgreenemusicofficial

This piece was written for Intermediate string orchestras to review and reinforce left hand extensions, accidentals, and gentle string crossings. The Violin 1 parts encourage half-step first and second finger glissandos as a beginning to shifting and ear training. The piece moves from D minor, describing the descent into the dungeon of a Middle Age Castle, to the familiar fiddle tune, “Devil’s Dream” in D Major. The Basses are invited to do right hand string slaps on the rests in this section, characteristic of many fiddling pieces. Everyone gets a chance at the melody, and minor and major extensions! Dynamics and bowings are clearly marked. Additionally, there are a few double stops, each including an open string, and three cello divisi notes. This piece is perfect for fall concerts and throughout the year. 

“The Dark Web” was my first attempt at writing music on my own. I first heard the bass line and melody in my head during a long drive and sang it into my phone so I could write it down when I got home. As I developed the piece, I decided to focus on G-string note reading while keeping the music fun and accessible for young musicians. After a few rounds of editing, I realized the melody sounded like a minor-key version of “The Itsy Bitsy Spider.” That discovery inspired the incorporation of “The Ants Go Marching In,” creating a playful musical story of an ant caught in a spider’s web. The original title I had given the piece no longer seemed to fit the story, and I wanted a title that would capture the imagination of both teachers and students. That’s how “The Dark Web” came to be.

When I set out to write this piece, I gave myself one simple parameter: keep it within the capabilities of a beginning band student who has learned only their first five notes. The composition intentionally embraces this limitation from beginning to end. In the band world, there is relatively little ensemble literature below the 0.5 difficulty level beyond homorhythmic or unison pieces, rote exercises, and material found within method books to use for beginning instruction. Prime March was written to help fill that gap, providing an opportunity for our youngest musicians to move beyond the method book and experience the challenge and excitement of performing ensemble-based literature well within their ability. The title Prime March reflects this idea as well—a celebration of the very first steps of a young musician’s journey and a reminder of just how much our youngest students are capable of achieving.

Instagram: @jacksonscoreworks
Facebook: Jackson Scoreworks
Website: ctjackson77.wixsite.com/portfolio

Inspired by the energetic spirit of the Readington Middle School Vikings band program (NJ) and their director, Ms. Samantha Lestrange, Viking Spirit was born from a desire for a bold, motivating concert opener. I wanted to craft a piece that would both challenge and excite developing young musicians while maintaining a powerful, mature ensemble sound. Structured in Rondo form, the work draws inspiration from traditional heroic fanfares, grounding a catchy, driving main theme with strategic repetition and rich dynamic contrast. Crisp melodic lines in the trumpets, clarinets, and saxophones are balanced by a robust, rhythmic bass line in the low winds and percussion. Viking Spirit was premiered jointly with the Whitehouse Wind Symphony of New Jersey in May 2025.

Amber Waves is a spirited marching-band arrangement of Samuel A. Ward and Katharine Lee Bates’ beloved America the Beautiful, commissioned by the Montrose Marching Unit (Pennyslvania) Alumni Band in celebration of the United States’ 250th birthday. Originally written for the MMU Alumni’s participation in Philadelphia’s Salute to Independence Parade, the arrangement honors both the enduring beauty of America and the lifelong bonds created through music. The title evokes Bates’ iconic “amber waves of grain,” symbolizing the nation’s natural beauty, strength, and enduring promise. The piece celebrates patriotism, musical tradition, community, and the shared memories of generations of musicians.

Skylands Celebration was originally commissioned and premiered in 2026 by the Whitehouse Wind Symphony of New Jersey, and their Musical Director James P. Sheeley, Jr, in celebration of their 30th Anniversary. This work was conceived as a musical tribute to three decades of artistic excellence, community, and shared musical purpose. The term “Skylands” refers to the far northern New Jersey mountains and highlands region of Hunterdon, Morris, Warren, and Sussex Counties. The piece opens with a bold fanfare, establishing a spirit of pride and anticipation, before giving way to a stately processional march. This march serves as a symbolic reflection of the ensemble’s journey—forward-moving, confident, and grounded in tradition.  A development section follows, expanding and transforming earlier ideas while showcasing the energy and color of the wind ensemble. The opening fanfare then returns, reaffirmed and strengthened, before launching into a Vivace section that propels the work toward its conclusion with heightened momentum and brilliance. The final measures culminate in a rousing restatement of the fanfare, bringing the piece to a triumphant close and honoring the enduring vitality of the Whitehouse Wind Symphony as it celebrates this important milestone.

Website:www.cwjmusichouse.com
Facebook: CWJMusicHouse
Instagram: @cwj_musichouse
SoundCloud: @christopher-w-johnson
YouTube: @cwjmusichousepublications2910

This piece is an original string orchestra work inspired by Wu Geng Tian, an ancient Chinese nursery rhyme. In old Chinese timekeeping, the hours of darkness after sunset until before dawn were divided into five successive nightwatches called geng.

The lullaby depicts a sleepless child. To lull the little one to rest, a mother conjures whimsical, magical visions for each passing watch, sparking boundless childhood imagination. The piece uses an ABA form, with a colorful palette of string techniques including pizzicato, tremolo and a wide range of varied articulations. Bright, agile A section themes mirror the child’s wandering, fanciful thoughts. The softer, introspective B section evokes the hushed mystery of deep midnight, before the main theme returns. Blending Chinese-tinged melody with well-judged playfulness and rewarding, moderate technical challenges, it suits many youth ensembles.

Facebook: @jack.law.94651

Overture Grandioso was composed by Australian composer Taylee Jurekie-Rofe in her final year at Mansfield State High School in Brisbane, Australia, to commemorate the school’s 50th anniversary in 2024. The work was premiered during the anniversary celebrations in 2024. Drawing on the traditional character and grandeur of the concert overture, the piece explores contrasting themes, energetic rhythmic passages, and moments of lyrical reflection to create a celebratory and dramatic musical journey. Prior to its premiere, Overture Grandioso was entered in the 2023 Australian Women’s Wind Band Composition Competition in the High School category, where it was awarded First Place. The work holds particular significance as both a celebration of Taylee’s school community and an important milestone in her development as a composer.

Youtube: @taylee_jurekie-rofe
Instagram: @taylee.jurekie.rofe_music
Facebook: @taylee.jurekie.rofe

My father, when he was young, played in the Royal Melody Orchestra, a local dance band out of Dickinson, North Dakota in the late 1950s. They specialized in polkas and waltzes, which were popular for that region. Fast forward to the late 1970s and I’m in school at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where this type of dance music is every bit as popular with the Czech / Bohemian population that dots the surrounding landscape. It only stands to reason that I would find myself involved with a local polka band out of Prague, Nebraska. It is from these memorable experiences that I drew upon the inspiration to write Czeched Bags Polka which is just one of many, many more that I have written utilizing the word Czech in the title. I have also arranged them all to be performed by either a brass quintet or a woodwind quintet.

Website: www.kaisershotmusic.com

After completing his studies at the Rotterdam Conservatory, Ivo Kouwenhoven fully dedicated himself to composing for and conducting young bands. For many years, his energetic and engaging compositions have inspired young musicians around the world to develop a passion for wind music. Since 1997, he has been the permanent composer for Tierolff Publishing in the Netherlands, where he has built up an impressive body of work that is now performed worldwide. His passion for children, music, and education led him to establish his own music publishing company, Himalaya Music, in 2006. The publishing house is dedicated entirely to music and educational materials for children and is distributed outside the Netherlands through Tierolff. His many years of dedication and his international contribution to (young) band music were recognized in 2025 with the prestigious Dutch BUMA Award. Ivo continues to be an important source of inspiration for young musicians and for everyone who believes in the power of music.

I’m a music educator, composer, percussionist, and punk rocker living in Hyde Park, New York, with my wife and daughter. I teach at PS 84 – José De Diego in Brooklyn, where I have a very supportive administration and music team. My writing is shaped by the music I’m into, even when that influence isn’t obvious. Middle Eastern Horizons began during the pandemic, when I was listening to Herbie Mann’s Impressions of the Middle East. The album’s use of different modes, oud, and hand drums led me to explore the D double harmonic scale in a piece for string orchestra. The melody moves through the ensemble, giving every instrument a moment to stand out. Optional percussion, including bongos, triangle, and tambourine, adds rhythmic color. I chose bongos for a practical reason: most schools have them, while a darbuka or doumbek can be harder to find. The piece reflects what I value most—new sounds, accessible writing, and music students can enjoy performing.

Website: www.jmlicarimusic.com 

This selection puts a twist on tradition with a modern use of harmony. I designed this piece so that students could play musical ideas that aren’t strictly major or minor, but both. It was a challenge, intentionally contrasting spooky minor phrases and joyful major moments to create a uniquely fun scene. Being a former band director guides my process. I aspire to write pieces that I would’ve chosen as a teacher for the strength of instructional content, and music that I would’ve enjoyed playing as a student for the excitement and enjoyment. As a percussionist myself, it is a personal objective that percussion be utilized in the most thoughtful ways, giving those students a chance to truly contribute to the overall musicality of a piece.

Website: www.rebeccamarkovmusic.com
Instagram: @rebeccamarkovmusic

The thread that connects these two very different pieces is musical curiosity. In Snowshoes, I was curious to see how I could musically convey a vivid memory I have of a particularly beautiful winter day in the Catskills. I encountered Marianna Martines’s Isacco Overture out of curiosity about what gems of orchestral repertoire are hiding in manuscript form waiting to find new student audiences. Starting with these threads of interest, crafting them into scores, and sharing them with students in my program and beyond is such an exciting process. I hope these pieces might pique your curiosity as well!  

Website: www.zachmay.net
Instagram: @zachmaycello
YouTube: @zachmaycello

Rise Up to the Sky is a concert band fanfare built around the idea of upward movement, energy, and optimism. The piece combines fanfare-like brass writing with a funk-inspired groove and subtle Latin influences. My background as a jazz saxophonist, many years of big band experience, and my work with concert bands shape its rhythmic language and orchestration. I have also been influenced by the energy, precision, and groove of bands such as Tower of Power and Earth, Wind & Fire. An ascending melody lies at the heart of the work, while modern harmonies, rhythmic breaks, and rapid changes of color create a sense of motion and acceleration. I am especially grateful to the excellent Tierolff Orchestra, whose energetic recording captures the character and spirit of the piece so vividly. Above all, I wanted to create a modern, uplifting work that is exciting for both performers and audiences.

Website: www.florianmoitzi.com
Instagram: @florianmoitzi.composer 

In my arrangement of Joy to the World, the beloved Christmas classic is transformed into a fresh, vibrant celebration that invites people to move, imagine, and enjoy making music together. As a percussionist myself, I was first inspired to create percussion parts that were genuinely fun to play, and that idea soon influenced how I wrote the wind music. Drawing on Afro-Caribbean rhythms and colors, this arrangement places groove at its heart, giving both percussionists and wind players fun, energetic, and flavorful parts. Crafting this piece around rhythm helped shape its unique, danceable, and festive character as an unforgettable musical experience that invites performers, conductors, and audience members alike to join the party!

Instagram: @sirisaacnealy

To appropriately celebrate its 125th anniversary, the city band of Owen (Germany) commissioned Austrian composer Fritz Neuböck to write a composition. You’re welcome is a short and simple greeting familiar to us all from various holidays. It simply means: “nice that you’re here.” And with exactly that message the city band of Owen wanted to welcome its audience at the anniversary concert in 2025. You’re Welcome is an uplifting piece that includes quotes from the 17th-century German hymn Geh aus, mein Herz, und suche Freud. It is perfectly suited as an opening piece for any concert, or as an introduction to the second part of a program. The cheerful mood is sure to spill over from the band to the audience.

Facebook: @fritz.neubock

“Iron Mountain” portrays the legend of the Erzberg in Austria in an impressive musical manner. At the beginning, the atmosphere of the cave where the Waterman resides comes to life through simulated water droplets. The Waterman is pursued and captured by humans. In his desperation, he pleads for freedom and presents an offer to the people: gold mines for a year, silver mines for ten years, or iron mines forever. The clear response from the people is iron forever. The composition’s finale emphasizes this choice with impactful anvil strikes, and the Erzberg rises triumphantly to the forefront of the narrative.

“Music for Joy” by Gerald Oswald is a captivating composition that makes the joy of music tangible through a festive introduction, cheerful rhythms, and optimistic melodies. This musical journey is accompanied by playful elements that lend the piece a graceful lightness.

Website:  www.symphonicdimensions.com/collections/gerald-oswald
Facebook: @gomusic1

Enthusiastic is a vibrant and uplifting work for concert band that celebrates the joy and shared energy of making music together. Filled with rhythmic vitality, rich harmonies, colorful orchestration, and subtle Baroque-inspired elements, the piece conveys a sense of optimism, grandeur, excitement, and beauty. A brief fugato introduces its energetic character before the music moves into a delicate, hymn-like march. From there, it unfolds into a noble and expressive melody shaped by warm, resonant sonorities. As the piece develops, dynamic crescendos and increasingly brilliant instrumental colors build momentum and lead back to the opening theme. The finale brings the work’s musical elements together in an energetic and powerful conclusion. True to its title, Enthusiastic reflects a spirit of excitement, curiosity, and commitment, offering performers an engaging musical journey while creating an inspiring and memorable experience for the audience.

Website: hermann-pallhuber.de
Facebook: @hermann.pallhuber
Instagram: @hermann_pallhuber

Dragonfly Dance was inspired by my young niece, who became mesmerized by a dragonfly while we were at the park. Her fascination revealed a childlike innocence, while I experienced a very different response to the insect. The music reflects this dual perspective, shifting continually between two sound worlds: a clear, diatonic melody that has a bright quality and restless chromatic gestures that suggest tension.

Website: www.nicolepiunno.com
Instagram: @nicolepiunno
YouTube: @nicolepiunno

A Fairy’s Tale was originally composed for the animated short “Twilight Prophecy,” and captures the imagination of a curious robot exploring a magical land for a mysterious relic. I wanted the sound of the piece to be sweeping and wondrous while still being accessible for young musicians to perform; as the piece is inspired by the creative imagination of a child. I personally love incorporating orchestral color through texture and harmony and the narrative allowed plenty of opportunity to create a dynamic score. I also drew a lot of inspiration for my orchestral textures from some of the early John Williams scores, specifically the Neverland themes from Hook, which are all bursting with whimsical melodies and weightless orchestration propelled by the agility of the winds and high strings. It’s a fun piece that serves as a delightful concert selection with heavy cinematic and thematic elements. The piece was awarded “Best Original Score” at the 2017 Los Angeles CineFest.

When I was asked to compose Seafarer’s Quest for string orchestra, I thought back to my own experience as a middle school musician. I remembered the thrill of playing music that felt larger than life—pieces that transported me to new worlds and made me feel like I was part of something exciting. At the time, the Pirates of the Caribbean movies were incredibly popular, and their bold, swashbuckling scores left a lasting impression on me. I would have loved to play something adventurous, something that sparked the imagination. With that in mind, I pictured grand adventures on the high seas—crashing waves, daring escapes, and the exhilaration of the open ocean. I wanted to capture that same sense of excitement and motion in this piece, giving young musicians the chance to experience the thrill of an epic journey through music, just as I would have wanted at their age.

Website: www.enriqueponcemusic.com
Instagram: @enriqueponce_composer
SoundCloud: @enriqueponce
Facebook: @enrique.ponce.777

Having spent 15 years as a middle school orchestra teacher I have had fun trying to keep the attention of 7th graders. I remember one student saying, “Mr. R, can we play something new? These songs came out 6 months ago!” I retired from public school teaching to spend more time writing and performing, but I still conduct a county youth orchestra and a college jazz band. Clash of the Smart Phones was written for my youth orchestra. I wanted something that was exciting to play, with a title that would make my players want to open the music. My goal was to teach scale sequences, staccato articulation and sixteenth note rhythms. The piece starts with ringing motif in the cellos and basses. The violins answer the call with an incessant chatter. Later the cellos join the conversation and by the end everyone has something to say. A wild ride on the wireless network! The piece opens with a violin-cello dialogue as imaginary phones start to ring, answered by frantic staccato violins at a breakneck tempo. Melody and accompaniment engage in high-energy communication — who will drop the signal first, the upper or lower strings? A more plaintive middle section brings slurred violin and cello conversation before the rapid-fire finale, where everyone talks at once and both sides end together with a concerted sixteenth-note hang-up. Featuring driving sixteenth-note rhythms and slurred eighth notes throughout, this piece is a high-energy study in rhythm and dynamics in the key of E minor.

Website: davidrimelis.com
YouTube: @DavidRimelis
Facebook: @Davidrimelis
Instagram: @rimelisdavid

Christmas Joy is a short opening piece for Christmas or winter concerts. It works perfectly with smaller ensembles as well as full concert bands. The work is built around themes and short melodic fragments from traditional Christmas carols. Some are only introduced very briefly, while others are developed further. Together, these familiar fragments create a festive Christmas atmosphere and instantly welcome the audience into the heart of the festive season.

Website: georges-sadeler.com
Instagram: @georges.sadeler.composer
Facebook: @GeorgesSadelerComposer

Daniel Sault is a composer and educator from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He currently works as the band director at Rio Rancho High School. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in music education from The University of New Mexico. Daniel’s music is heavily inspired by folk melodies, cartoons, legends, and science fiction. One of Daniel’s compositional missions is to expand repertoire for young ensembles by introducing a wider variety of tonalities, meters, and other musical concepts often reserved for more advanced students. A Watercolor Lullaby reflects this mission by exploring the concept of a “color tone.” In music theory, a color tone is a note that does not fit within traditional chord structures. Instead, it acts independently, giving the music a distinctive color that would otherwise be absent. A Watercolor Lullaby uses a few intentional and noticeable color tones to help students and audiences recognize and appreciate the expressive impact of non-chord tones.

Website: www.danielsaultcomposer.com

Ever since entering the high school band room, big band has been a part of my life. Inspired by Count Basie’s classic orchestration, I wrote the chart Ain’t Worth the Squeeze as a love letter to Count Basie and his orchestra. As a film composer, I write music for others, but my jazz and concert works allow me to write freely. In 2019, I started writing big band charts to place them in my films, and years later it has grown into Andrew Morgan Smith and the Lifetimers, a group for which I write and record my own big band charts. My works have been recorded and performed all over the world, including by the London Symphony Orchestra. I look forward to writing more for the concert stage.

Website: www.andrewmorgansmith.com
Instagram: @andrewmorgansmith
TikTok: @andrewmorgansmith
YouTube: @AndrewMorganSmithMusic
X: @amusics

One of the first young band pieces that caught my attention was Dark Adventure by Ralph Ford. Same goes for my students; they constantly sang it! Ralph’s music is a great inspiration for me. I want students to enjoy playing my music and take pride in their parts; what goes on the page is chosen carefully. I also take the subject of my music seriously, even if it’s amusing! Operation: Hive‘s message is this: a bee sting hurts, but bees are naturally docile and pollination is important. I attempt to depict that contrast in this piece. Sometimes, the music is peaceful and lyrical, other times loud and aggressive. More than anything, this piece gives space for beginners to explore how musical style can change the meaning and energy of a piece of music. And of course, brass players get to buzz on their mouthpieces during a concert!

Website: jamesesmithmusic.com
Instagram: @jamesesmithmusic
Facebook: @jamesesmithmusic
YouTube: @jamesesmithmusic

December Winds comes from the stillness we experience as the winter-bound world becomes dormant. Animals go to sleep, plants wait to bloom again, and people retreat to their warm homes. There’s a simplicity, a looming pause to life’s business. Some find it calming, others, looming. For a beginning ensemble, simplicity is helpful, but also important. Music can be complex; it can also be simple. It’s within the contrast of complexity that we can experience great depth of musical expression. The piece rolls along with a constant running arpeggiation in the piano accompaniment, helping walk us through falling snow and sustaining cold. Upon reaching the end, we hear an unexpected major chord, hinting that winter will eventually transition to Spring, where stillness gives way to rebirth.

Website: brocksnow.com
YouTube: @BrockSnowMusic

I have always been a big history buff, specifically native American history and WWII holocaust. I have several pieces based on the genocide enacted by Adolph Hitler. The latter was mainly due to my mother was born in Germany in 1938 and spent her early years during the war. The history of westward expansion, Manifest Destiny and what was an invasion of native lands for many years was not held to the same standard for all concerned. Indigenous peoples were mostly killed by disease brought by Western European settlers. But the eradication of less desirables by force was very common. “Incident at Little Big Horn” was originally titled “Victory in The Badlands”. History was written based on which side you were. It was a “great victory” for the Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. The official report was “A great massacre”. The music is bold, fast paced and very busy, just as a battle would be. An epic and moving work that takes the listener through a complete palate of sound and emotion.

This was written for a jazz consortium led by Joel Pohland at Pierz Healy High School in Minnesota. He wanted a New Orleans second line style tune that would be accessible for middle school and beyond, including flex parts for other band instruments and optional tablature for developing bassists/guitarists. This was a special commission for me, because even though Joel and I had never met in person, I caught my first catfish on a lake just down the road from his school. Since catfish is also a staple of New Orleans cuisine, it was inevitable that this Minnesota/New Orleans connection resulted in Catfish Voodoo! My favorite part about this piece is that the chords in the solo section allow any musician to improvise a solo using only the notes found in a Bb major scale, which is a very approachable way to give students the courage to try improvising!

Website: www.joelvanderheyden.com

Swinging Halls at Christmas Time began with a simple Christmas greeting. A year before writing the full concert band arrangement, I recorded a holiday video for my social media channels featuring my own swing interpretation of Deck the Halls for four trumpets and four trombones. I enjoyed the result so much that I decided to develop the idea further. The original arrangement became the foundation for a full concert band work, combining the traditional sound of a wind band with the character and energy of a big band. To give the piece even more of a jazz band character, I decided to add an optional piano part and use the double bass in the style of a traditional walking bass. This gives the piece an authentic big band flavor while keeping it flexible for traditional concert bands. The result is my own swinging take on a timeless Christmas favorite.

Touchdown holds a special place in my catalog. As my first piece to be published by Symphonic Dimensions Publishing, it marked an important step in my journey as a composer. Joining the publisher was a great opportunity to bring my musical background into a new setting and to explore new directions as a composer. Coming from a background in popular music, I was especially interested in writing music for concert band that could incorporate some of the energy and character of this style. Touchdown was one of the first pieces where I consciously followed this idea. It is inspired by American football and captures the excitement of a play ending with the celebration of a touchdown. Looking back, this composition represents more than just a piece of music to me. It was an important milestone that opened the door to a new chapter in my work as a composer.

Ritmo de la Noche is deeply rooted in my love for traditional Latin American music. As a passionate fan of this genre, I wanted to explore the rhythms and colors that have fascinated me for many years and bring them into a concert band setting. The piece draws particular inspiration from the traditional mambo style. This can be heard especially in the percussion and bass parts, which create the rhythmic foundation and give the music its unmistakable feel. As a trumpet player, I wanted the sound and character of the trumpet to be an important part of the piece, especially within the energetic rhythms of the mambo. The trumpet section therefore takes a prominent role throughout the composition. My goal was not simply to write a “Latin-style” piece, but to bring the rhythmic language and spirit of traditional mambo music into this composition.

Website: www.m-k-weber.com
Instagram: @matthias.k.weber
Facebook: @matthiaskweber

Embark on a dynamic musical journey with Around Asia in 80 Bars (An Instant Asian Concert). This wind band work, inspired by Harold Walters’ Instant Concert and paying homage to Jules Verne’s timeless adventure Around the World in 80 Days compresses familiar tunes from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, The Philippines, China, and back to Singapore—all within 80 bars. Bring your audience an instant Asian groove that weaves cultural stories in every note, encompassing the spirit of both Instant Concert and the classic tale of circumnavigation! 

Website: www.benjaminyeo.com
Facebook: @BenjaminYeo.Composer
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The inspiration for these compositions comes from the jet stream, the powerful wind that shares its name. This phenomenon occurs in the lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere, particularly where regions of different temperatures meet. High above us, these rapid wind currents play a significant role in shaping weather and climate. Climate change may also affect these high-altitude winds, which in turn could further impact the climate in a complex feedback loop. The composition Jet Stream captures the energy of these winds while also using a dramatic musical language to reference the fragility of our ecosystem. The winds are made audible in the piece through howling tubes. For children and young people, this composition offers an opportunity to engage with the symphonic sounds of Concert Bands through serious and dramatic youth orchestra literature. In 2024, the piece was awarded at the composition competition “New Literature for Youth Bands” organized by the Austrian Youth Wind Band Association.

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