Description
Written to celebrate the 100th anniversary of a Florida High School, and based on a quote from a poem written by an early student, “Anchored” is a bombastic dance and exploration of the impact four years of high school has on us all.
Program Notes
“Anchored” was commissioned by the Bay High School Band to celebrate the school’s 100th anniversary.
When I was asked to write this piece for Bay High School, I was fortunate enough to receive a treasure trove of history from the school’s archives. Many poems and articles, as well as photos from the earliest days of the school, were of great inspiration as I worked on a piece that was worthy of the enormity of a hundred-year history.
One of the letters from the first senior class stuck out to me. This young student described how chaotic the first two years of the school were, with some of them moving in the middle of their high school career. This particular student was writing to thank the principal, who she said helped them calm the storm, steady the waters, and helped to anchor them (obviously they leaned into the nautical themes from the early days at Bay!).
This made me think of my own high school career, and how I don’t think (no matter how much some of us wish we could forget) that you ever truly forget the impact that your school days have on you as a person.
For the work, this seemed most fitting as a “dance” of sorts. One that began with a more chaotic center and evolved and progressed until eventually, after being overwhelmed, came back to calm waters and anchored still.
At the midway point of the work, a few musical Easter eggs start to crop up that are special to the school. What was a more disjointed dance brings in a steady pulse toward the conclusion that helps to anchor the motifs, now being stacked and manipulated all at once, which is an analogy to an ever-growing stack of traditions on a school that has reached its first century.
Musically, there is a moment when the harmonic development is centered around the notes B-flat–H (B natural in German)–C, which is a musical nod to “Bay High Centennial.”
High school is a formative time where we start to discover who we are and form bonds that last a lifetime. I hope that this musical tribute is made evident through this piece.
