Composed by Adrian Dee. This edition: pdf, streaming. 21st Century, Chamber, Classical, Contemporary. 41 pages. Adrian Dee #1398525. Published by Adrian Dee (A0.1838990).
I was thinking about all the ways in which we could not breathe in 2020: George Floyd's dying words, the COVID-19 pandemic putting the entire planet on masks and respirators, the wildfires filling our homes with smoke, the racism that has suffocated so many for so long. I thought it would be interesting to write a piece with all that in mind for flute, an instrument which, of course, is all about breathing. It is an exciting and challenging piece, suggested for advanced and professional players.
This piece lasts about 9 to 10 minutes, or about the same amount of time Derek Chauvin had his knee on George Floyd's neck. The performers are asked to breathe in specific ways, to make the audience aware of the breathing, and to become uncomfortably short of breath. It requires some improvisation, a few special effects (multiphonics, use of voice, jet whistle), some serious breath control, and a lot of energy. There are four sections to the piece with a short pause in between each. It opens with the death of George Floyd, a motivic element becoming faster and more desperate until, finally, there is no breath. This is followed by an emphasis on the breath, the breath that Mr. Floyd never took.
The second section begins with peaceful protests, but quickly devolves into violent riots. The performers are given a set of statements with the direction to perform them in any order a few times each. They include breaking glass, sirens, running feet and other general mayhem.
In the third section, “Respirators”, I was picturing being in a hospital bed with a ventilator strapped to my face. My body therefore immobilized, yet my thoughts and feelings are alive as ever. Here I juxtapose two elements: the sterile hospital environment, and the hopes and yearnings that are alive inside.
The fourth section, “Wildfires”, begins with a few small sparks and soon takes off into a full conflagration. I use an irregular meter (2-2-3) and give the performers an opportunity to improvise. This makes the piece, like a wildfire, a little unpredictable and dangerous.
Thank you for your interest in this piece. I hope you find it to be a meaningful experience. [email protected].
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global
self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters.
ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular
titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.
About Digital Downloads
Digital Downloads are downloadable sheet music files that can be viewed directly on
your computer, tablet or mobile device. Once you download your digital sheet music,
you can view and print it at home, school, or anywhere you want to make music, and
you don't have to be connected to the internet. Just purchase, download and play!
PLEASE NOTE: Your Digital Download will have a watermark at the bottom of each page
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only authorized to print the number of copies that you have purchased. You may not
digitally distribute or print more copies than purchased for use (i.e., you may not
print or digitally distribute individual copies to friends or students).
Composed by Adrian Dee. This edition: pdf, streaming. 21st Century, Chamber, Classical, Contemporary. 41 pages. Adrian Dee #1398525. Published by Adrian Dee (A0.1838990).
I was thinking about all the ways in which we could not breathe in 2020: George Floyd's dying words, the COVID-19 pandemic putting the entire planet on masks and respirators, the wildfires filling our homes with smoke, the racism that has suffocated so many for so long. I thought it would be interesting to write a piece with all that in mind for flute, an instrument which, of course, is all about breathing. It is an exciting and challenging piece, suggested for advanced and professional players.
This piece lasts about 9 to 10 minutes, or about the same amount of time Derek Chauvin had his knee on George Floyd's neck. The performers are asked to breathe in specific ways, to make the audience aware of the breathing, and to become uncomfortably short of breath. It requires some improvisation, a few special effects (multiphonics, use of voice, jet whistle), some serious breath control, and a lot of energy. There are four sections to the piece with a short pause in between each. It opens with the death of George Floyd, a motivic element becoming faster and more desperate until, finally, there is no breath. This is followed by an emphasis on the breath, the breath that Mr. Floyd never took.
The second section begins with peaceful protests, but quickly devolves into violent riots. The performers are given a set of statements with the direction to perform them in any order a few times each. They include breaking glass, sirens, running feet and other general mayhem.
In the third section, “Respirators”, I was picturing being in a hospital bed with a ventilator strapped to my face. My body therefore immobilized, yet my thoughts and feelings are alive as ever. Here I juxtapose two elements: the sterile hospital environment, and the hopes and yearnings that are alive inside.
The fourth section, “Wildfires”, begins with a few small sparks and soon takes off into a full conflagration. I use an irregular meter (2-2-3) and give the performers an opportunity to improvise. This makes the piece, like a wildfire, a little unpredictable and dangerous.
Thank you for your interest in this piece. I hope you find it to be a meaningful experience. [email protected].
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global
self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters.
ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular
titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.
About Digital Downloads
Digital Downloads are downloadable sheet music files that can be viewed directly on
your computer, tablet or mobile device. Once you download your digital sheet music,
you can view and print it at home, school, or anywhere you want to make music, and
you don't have to be connected to the internet. Just purchase, download and play!
PLEASE NOTE: Your Digital Download will have a watermark at the bottom of each page
that will include your name, purchase date and number of copies purchased. You are
only authorized to print the number of copies that you have purchased. You may not
digitally distribute or print more copies than purchased for use (i.e., you may not
print or digitally distribute individual copies to friends or students).
Preview: 2020: The Year We Could Not Breathe (trio version)
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