Morning Sun Returns
Rewrite : 2023 
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In the spring of 2023, American Canyon High School, under the Director Brandan Day,  ask me if I had a piece that he could play at his spring concert that included an instrumentation of both band & strings. I told him I did, but I'll need to edit it to fit his instrumentation. An addition of percussionists, a balance in brass, etc.... he basically wanted to showcase his instrumental music program as on performing ensemble.  So, the editing began. Hence the title: Morning Sun returns. 
Unfortunately, I was traveling at the time the concert took place, but what I was told, by Brendan and some parents, students, it was well received.............. Enjoy!

Alaina -  Morning Sun 
Dedicated to the Housley Family.
November 2nd 2019
Medium: Symphonic Orchestra
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 Alaina was a member of my String Orchestra the last three years of my tenure as Instrumental Music Director at Vintage High School. She came into my class as a freshman and I noticed right at the beginning how special she was.

As time went on, I realized that her special quality was to make good things happen for those around her.   I would watch her help other members in the orchestra, no matter their skill level or year in school. She assisted them with their music or simply socially engaged them. She took on a true leadership role, making sure to offer help to all.  As her musical skills grew, so did her ability to create a positive, engaging safe place for other students to belong.

I retired the year Alaina became a senior. She decided to move over into the Vocal department for her senior year and continued to have an active role in leadership in the Vintage musical community

This composition started out one morning as I stared out my window into my backyard. Coffee in hand, I was thinking about what to write.  I started sketching out a few ideas and it soon began to take shape. I temporarily titled it “Morning Sun” although I wasn’t completely sure about that name.
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In October, my wife and I attended a fundraiser at the JAM Cellars for Alaina’s Voice, featuring Michael Franti, and while there, the title “Alaina - Morning Sun” came to me. This composition is about Alaina Housley. She was a light—-like the sun. She brightened the lives of everyone that she met, and that light has gone out way too soon. 

​Angela’s Theme -  6:37 in length
​July 14, 2019
Medium: Orchestral
A friend on mine has been working for a while on a film script. Well, he’s has finally finished the script, had a couple scrip writers edit it and is now at the very beginning stages of production. He is also networking his list pf people that could get on board and help out in many ways. So he came to me and asked if I would be interested in composing some music for the sound track.
Seeing how I just finished Discovery (a Brass Band Piece), I  was open for a new challenge and opportunity, I told him it would be a fun endeavor.
Angela and Mike are the main characters in the story. I won’t get to much into the plot of the story, but Angela is trapped in her own space, longing to be released. Wanting to fall in love, to be set free from her personal struggles. She is kind, gentle and longing for her love to join her. She soon will meet Mike.......
So I sketched out a couple ideas to see where it would take me. It finally started to guide me to where it has now arrived, trying to maintain her being.
If anything, I liked the way it turned out. 
Mike’s Theme: To be completed!

​Coming Home : 1996

I found this score tucked away in a box in my garage. I remember writing it, but had forgot some of the thematic material. So I decided to transcribe it out into Sibelius to “archive” it for the future. After listening to it, I revised, added, tweaked a few parts. But, this score of Coming Home is 96% in it’s original format from 1996.
Shorty after my 2nd son Alex born, and living in Suisun and teaching at Vintage, I found myself anxious to get home after school was out and and see, hang out, spend time with the "Boys".
However, those that know the life and routine of a high school band director realizes that eventhough school is dismissed, there is always a more few hours left to the day. As my commute continued and I got further away from Vintage High School, and closer to Suisun, "Coming Home" was a at the top of my list. Over time, this composition came to be. When you listen to this composition, you can tell at the beginning that I was pretty muchdone with my day at Vintage. As the tune delevlops, Im getting closer to home. The "coda" section is where I'm pulling into my driveway, - I'm Home! 

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