Sounds, Sketches & Ideas (2002)

GRADE 4.5 • 10:30 • published by C. Alan Publications

Performance: St. Thomas University Wind Ensemble | Conductor: Dr. Matthew George

PROGRAM NOTES

Sounds, Sketches and Ideas is a unique work in which composer Roger Cichy, and daughter, Rebecca, have collaborated for the first time on a musical composition for wind ensemble. Having a child show signs of musical creativity has been something Roger Cichy has not taken lightly. His daughter, Rebecca, now 12 years of age, was born into a musical family and started her musical training at a very early age. By age 6, she began creating her own melodies. This situation presented Roger Cichy with a unique opportunity of having his daughter create the melodic framework for a composition and for him to complete the work based on her melodic material. Several of her earlier melodies used as well as new material she created specifically for this work. 

The opening movement Daybreak, uses a very plain but meditative melody. "Since Rebecca created it several years ago, this melody has been bouncing around in my head," comments Roger Cichy. "Each time, I've superimposed it in my head with a slightly different instrumentation and thought it would be fun to actually score one of these versions." This melody in particular inspired Roger Cichy to consider the idea of using his daughter's melodies to create an entire musical work. 

The melody for Escape of the Gypsies was created at the request of Rebecca's violin teacher to exhibit her capabilities of composing melodies. Roger Cichy was able to end this movement with a paraphrase of Rebecca's first composed melody, Princess Dance, created at age 6. 

Funky Monkey uses the first melody actually composed specifically for this work. Roger Cichy took some liberties and transformed the original melody into a swing style from the straight rhythms that Rebecca created. When Rebecca heard a computer playback of the middle section of the movement, she was surprised that it turned into something "really funky;' hence the mutually agreeable title, Funky Monkey. 

The final movement, March of the Broken Toys, again contains melodic material created specifically for the work. Rebecca created several folk-like melodies for this movement, and since she had been studying Bartok violin duets, Roger Cichy chose to apply a quasi-Bartok treatment to the melodies. 

Sounds, Sketches and Ideas was commissioned by the University of St. Thomas Wind Ensemble under the baton of Dr. Matthew J. George, Director of Bands.

INSTRUMENTATION

Winds: Flute 1/Piccolo, Flute 2, Oboe 1 & 2, Bassoon 1 & 2, Bb Clarinet 1 - 3, Bb Bass Clarinet, Eb Alto Saxophones 1 & 2, Bb Tenor Saxophone, Eb Baritone Saxophone

Brass: Bb Trumpet 1 - 3, F Horn 1 - 4, Trombone 1 - 2, Bass Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba

Percussion: Timpani, Percussion 1 (suspended cymbal, bass drum, snare drum, triangle, vibraslap, toy cymbals, tambourine), Percussion 2 (finger cymbals, crash cymbals, chimes, 4 concert toms, tambourine, hi-hat, vibraphone, woodblock, large spoons, large tom), Percussion 3 (vibraphone, chimes, orchestra bells, tam-tam, crash cymbals, chimes, xylophone, marimba)