Humoresque (2023)

Wind Ensemble | ca. 3'30" | grade 5

Program Note

Young composers, I've observed (and myself included), always strive to create music that means something. This isn't a bad thing in any way, as music is a powerful outlet for endless expression and communication. In fact, some of the most powerful musical works have a deeper meaning than just the notes on the page. But it seems to be a requirement, nowadays, for new music to be rooted in some sort of serious subject matter, or to have some sort of programmatic setting. Perhaps young composers feel this is the only way to validate their work — I certainly had this preconception at the start of my compositional career.

Humoresque, then, intentionally strays away from this idea of perpetual seriousness; an antithesis to the assumed rule that music should live within a programmatic context. There is no meaning or intention behind the work other than to be silly, chaotic — humorous, even.