Blue Collar Breakdown

Description

Written for a small town in Georgia with a lot of style, this clever work for concert band is a modern dance inspired by the composer’s own early life growing up in a small town community. Our town might be small, but it has a big heart! We know you will love this one.

Program Notes

When I was contacted about writing a piece for the Yellow Jacket Band, the first thing I thought of was my best friend Bobby. Bobby grew up in Hazlehurst and was even a member of the band program at Jeff Davis High School. One of the things that has always stood out to me about Bobby was his small-town grit and impeccable work ethic. That get-it-done attitude was something I have and continue to strive for. After speaking with director Nicholas C. Efstathiou, I discovered that this personality is one shared across the community. So I dug a little deeper—in researching the town, I found that its biggest export (and something of explosive growth) has been in blue collar work.

The backbone of our society, this type of work is tough but rewarding. I have come to find that my brain likes to take expected things and warp them a bit, so when I started hearing this music, a little bit of a “dance” emerged—with a little unexpected harmonic tilt. I thought it only fitting, as some of the hippest musicians I have known have come from this small town in Georgia!

Thus “Blue Collar Breakdown” was born! I have thoroughly enjoyed putting a little breakdown into this melody, which will hopefully bring joy. It is a love letter to small towns, which I also grew up in—lots of heart and spirit reside here, and I hope that this music amplifies that just a little more.