Three

I remember the time when I sat down to hear about my very first composition project at university. With a classical background in piano and music theory — and a few years of teaching myself composition — you can imagine my reaction when I heard that we’d be composing a piece for a big band.

I was surprised. And confused. And then I needed to look up what a big band even was.

I quickly realised that I had instantly been picked up and thrown far — probably about as far as humanly possible — out of my comfort zone.

For the next month and a half, I scrambled to learn about big bands, and about writing music that would work for that type of an ensemble. When the deadline rolled around, I had — somewhat to my own surprise — a piece done and ready to submit. In hindsight, it’s easy to see that the whole thing was a big mess; and that’s alright. Most important, however, is that when the same type of project rolled around next time, I didn’t feel like I was being yanked from my comfort zone and fed to the wolves anymore.

Three was composed  two years after that initial project at university. The name highlights the fact that it’s the third piece I’ve ever composed for a big band. With Three, I had a chance to sit down and work with a professional big band for a few days, rehearsing the piece; it was then performed in concert in two different locations in Sweden.

The piece builds on a musical theme that is gradually broken down as improvisation takes over. The theme returns to take center stage briefly, before subsiding in favor of improvisation that then fades away into silence.

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