It's Awake! - Symphony Orchestra - Score Video

It's Awake! was written in August of 2025. I remember one of my favorite things to do as a kid was put on some music and imagine some kind of narrative for it - letting a movie play out in my head. Being someone who grew up on Disney's Fantasia, I suppose this was just something I couldn't help. Anytime I got the chance to go watch a performance, whether it was chamber music or a symphony, I'd always walk out with entire plot lines in my head. A musical story.

Having worked as an usher with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for two years, I had the privilege of seeing students hear an orchestra for the first time over and over again. Working school time concerts was one of my favorite things for that reason. I was able to relive the origin of my love for music over and over in the excited reactions I saw in the hall.

I decided to write this piece with that in mind, creating a vivid narrative that could provide a solid stepping off point for an audience to imagine a story with music:

​You find yourself lost in a dark labyrinth. As you search for an exit, you knock over some heavy object. In the dreaded silence following this crashing blunder, you hear a monstrous grumbling. There's something down here with you, and now it's awake. What happens next, is up to you.

This audio is a MIDI mockup made in Dorico with NotePerformer. I'd love to be able to feature a live recording soon! If you're interested in being the ensemble who premieres this piece, please contact me for the score and parts.

Thank you for listening!