All the music played here was written by David Graham while a student at Point Loma Nazarene University. David is a Music minor and a Physic's major and will graduate soon.

Blessing indeed! ♥️🎹🎼🍰 Made your mom and dad proud! 😊

Connected The first half of this piece is structured around the nine planets of the solar system (Pluto included). I represented each planet by a specific series of notes chosen by assigning different note values to each letter of the alphabet and then spelling out the names of the planets with these notes. Then I took the distances between each planet, rounded them to work in the confines of my piece and placed them in their correct spots. Then I added different patterns to compliment the different aspects of each planet, e.g. for Saturn and Neptune the left hand plays descending block chords. These chords represent the rings that these two planets possess, and how Neptune’s rings are smaller than Saturn’s. The piece then transitions into a much more joyous section that is based on the heavenly things. It is much faster and more melodious, yet uses the same planet motifs as before when appropriate. This is to show how the vastness of space and the eternity of heaven are separate yet also connected. God lives in a heavenly realm that we cannot see, yet the infinite expanse of our physical heaven, which we call outer space, speaks of the glory and infinity of whom God is. Things This piece was written out of a simple desire to write something for an instrument other than a piano. I took a lot of inspiration from a melody that I had heard as a child from the Redwall cartoon. The song was “Noonvale,” and my piece initially started out with a desire to turn that melody into a string quartet. However, I decided to take the progression from an improvisation I had done in high school and then added a new melody on top. I was writing this in a time of renewed life focus. At the beginning of the Sophomore year things did not go well, and I was unsure of what life was going to throw at me next. Yet as the year progressed I again found contentment and happiness in that which the Lord had given me. This piece grows out of this return to an optimism for the future, and even more so, a blissful contentment of finally feeling that I was at home again. Germany 1)German Dance Number German Dance Number was created out of a desire to give some sort of context to Gab es keinen mehr. It is happy, joyful and very akin to a ballet style. It has a very defined rhythm which contrasts it with its “older brother.” It is meant to lull the audience into a very deep sense of comfort and peace. The dance tries to emulate a typical German dance style; with very simple chords and very simple melodies. The idea was that if one gave villagers a bunch of instruments, this is what the music would sound like. 2)Gab es keinen mehr The idea for this piece was to write something that used an interesting array of instruments but also had a meaning. I was inspired by military music and really wanted something with a droning beat that just meant doom was coming. Yet I hadn’t found anything that had inspired me until I found this poem. “First They Came” is a very popular poem written by a German Pastor about what living under the Nazi regime was like. The text for this piece is in the original German and as it progresses, different parties are removed by the Nazis. Listen for how this is symbolized in the music. The violin and the cello represent the Jews The horn and the euphonium represent the Communists The two flutes represent the Trade Unionists The clarinet and bass clarinet represent the Social Democrats Both the changing meter as well as the lack of a specific key signature create a sense of imbalance for the audience. This is all in direct contrast to the piece before. A Christian Farewell I had wanted to write a choir piece for the longest time, since it was Concert Choir that really ignited my love for music again. I wanted this piece to be something meaningful, something that could transcend the purpose I had for it. This is probably the most difficult piece I have written, even with its musical simplicity. The difficulty came from the hundred or so revisions, versions and styles that this piece has undergone. I experimented with many different melodies and chord progressions until I finally settled on something simple and powerful. The text is taken from the Nazarene Hymnal and expresses the emotions that we as the body of Christ should have towards those who leave our lives for new adventures. It is meant to be sung in that moment of moving forward and blessing those to whom you must say goodbye. Pay close attention to the words as this piece is performed and apply these words to your experiences. Symphony of Redemption 1) Sunrise This piece is about a blissfulness of being at home and triumphant, everything being better than it ever has been; being in a new place and belonging there really quickly; finding a new family. This is similar to the experience one has as the sun rises on a new day, and as the light evaporates the morning dew and bathes the entire world in new light and life. This feeling is represented first by the initial trumpet melody and is then encapsulated in the hymn-esque anchor of the piece. This piece explores new beginnings through the use of a flat major third progression that rarely slips into minor. 2)Winter Air This piece focuses on the idea of trying to hold together something by one’s own strength. Imagine that you’re trying to stop up a dam that has a hole in it without any help; as time goes on more holes will form and eventually the dam you are trying so hard to keep together will burst. That is what this piece attempts to express. The melody is kept simple in order to let the progression of the piano and the chords tell the story, apart from a present melody. There are moments in the pianos incessant consistency where the audience should be able to notice the cracks beginning to form. 3)The Edge This piece was a study in electronic soundscaping. The idea was to completely tell the story of a moment, replete with all the emotions and all the thoughts. It starts out in nature, yet the sounds are completely distorted. The sounds attack the ears and pressures the hearer into a state of mind that I tried to replicate, causing the hearer to feel surrounded and claustrophobic, almost like being underwater. The words are spoken by friends to whom I sometimes gave a script, and other times just gave them the emotion I wanted. As it goes on, the sounds become more distorted and more unsettling. 4) Teach Me How To Joy This is in essence a prayer. After the worst of life is thrown at you and you have overcome it, it is in this moment that you look to God for help and strength. I tried to express different forms of what joy is: peacefulness, contentment, and especially ecstatic joy. The melody comes from a camp song that my youth group wrote together in the summer of 2014, yet the words still hold truth today. “Teach me how to joy, teach me how to love, teach me how to be like You.”

Beautiful.

I KNOW THAT GUY :'D

This sounds like it be from a videogame :D

Amazing melody!!!!

Improvisation 10ix13

Even if this is "unfinished," it's beautiful!

Beautiful!

The best!

We plan to paint your room soon! You are so best!

Check it out guys!!!

Great!

I Love this song!!

Awesome improvisation, I enjoyed this tremendously!! I was doing the dishes with delight as I heard you all play!! I love you both very much, Jeremy give James a big hug when you see him!!