Commissioned by the Glastonbury High School Band ; Kacey Howard ; Director of Bands.

Sample Score: Click Here

Sample Audio: Click Here

My time spent as a saxophonist in high-school still fills my heart with many memories. The majority of my high school wind ensemble treated and played in rehearsals like it was the super bowl. I know I did anyway lol.. 

The thing I always wondered about when it came to band rehearsals was,.. why did I enjoy this so much. Maybe, it must've been the instrument I played. (mmmh , Sax is okay but if I could time travel, I'd pick the French Horn). Or MAYBE .. it was the feeling of my bandmates trombone slide, CRACKING the back of my skull every time we played Second Suite. Noo , that cant be it.. AND THEN BOOM!! it hit me! .. It's because,.. for the first time in my life, .. I genuinely made friends. I gained strength from them and I gained a sense of belonging. Band was fun. Challenging,.. but fun. 

And that's where this piece "Song For The Strong" comes in. I'll spare you the sales pitch on why I think this is cool ,.. BUT what it means to the students in the band is beyond music. It's an experience that they are all sharing together at the same time. In my experience, a strong band is filled with strong friendships. 

To the students of Glastonbury High School : Create the lifelong memories you can look back on and smile about. Enjoy every piece of music, every solo, every note, and everyone in that room experiencing it with you. Have fun, and be your bandmates strength!