A joyous 12/8 overture brimming with energy and relentless ostinatos, Skybound’s working title was “Welcome Back,” as it’s a celebration of several returns in my life. First, it’s a joyous exultation for my return to composing after over two years off. Second, it celebrates my return to teaching college after a year of being a high school band director in Ceres, CA.

Though my time at Central Valley High School was brief, the connections I made with the students and with my co-director Lawrence Carbery made leaving that position exceptionally difficult. Lawrence has created a culture of support, perseverance, and thoughtful reflection amongst his students, the likes of which I have never encountered in my many years of teaching.

When I first showed this work to Lawrence, he balked a bit at the title—insisting that the musical material deserved something grander than my pithy salutation. “Skybound” felt appropriate given both the triumphant nature of the overture and its dedication to the Central Valley High Hawks.

Currently my shortest work for wind ensemble, “Skybound” is meant to reflect the trajectory of the CVHS band program—onward and upward to greater heights.