This project will be a challenge, though. I have a number of limitations on what I can write. This commission is being done by my good friend Ashley Gulbranson from UW-Milwaukee. She's currently working to get her doctorate at UC-Boulder. If you are a member of the International Horn Society and ready the tri-annual magazine you receive online or in the mail, you'll see she recently has an article (I think in a 2016 issue) about focal dystonia, her journey recovering from it, and how others can do the same thing. Focal dystonia is the brain's inability to control certain muscles, in this case those of the face. She's always been very passionate about it, probably because of how much turmoil she went through, and she wants to help. I can't imagine physically being unable to play, so I totally get it.
So my 2nd horn concerto's purpose is to cater to those who have recovered from focal dystonia. This means I have to be conservative about range, leaps and entrances. But, my goal is still to make the music amazing. This could greatly benefit, too, in the fact that it could cater to younger players, because it will limit the amount of technical challenge to give them a musical challenge and experience. I could use this with my own students...granted I do it well.
It's going to be recorded and put on a CD with other composers' works, so it has to be good. As you can tell, I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself...so let's so how it goes.
On a separate but related subject, I have begun work on a set of Christmas arrangements for flexible brass quartet. This means that ensembles can be flexible with what instruments they have, and as long as they have the 4 parts covered, they're set. The music is originally set for 2 trumpets & 2 trombones, but all 4 parts can be played by horns, and there's optional add-ins that include a trombone on the trumpet parts, a trumpet on the 1st trombone part, and an optional tuba part. So, they're not 100% flexible with any instrument on any part, but I didn't really want them that way. I feel I would have a hard time making that work, and it wouldn't really sound that good to have a trumpet play the bass line, or a tuba play the 1st part or a harmony part. It's designed to be flexible, but practical. The nice thing, though, is that it can be used by horn quartets and ensembles, because of the ranges I use. So, it caters to my horn comrades.
It's been a fun project to work on. I'm probably going to make several volumes, just to keep the page numbers down, because each piece will have 3 separate scores of 4 parts to read from. I hope to finish at the end of the month!
Take care and value music.