An American Elegy (Ticheli conducting) - JU Wind Ensemble

February 24, 2018
Music of Frank Ticheli
First Coast Wind Symphony & Jacksonville University Wind Ensemble
www.fcwinds.org
Video provided by Vladimir Paje

[@patrickvalentino600]

9/11 was the date of the first band rehearsal my first year of college, a college which was within visual range of lower Manhattan. The school shut down, but the band had the reputation of a course you did not miss unless you had a doctor's note saying you were dead and you hand delivered it yourself, so we all arrived, not knowing what to do or expect, that afternoon for band rehearsal. The director selected a handful of pieces for us to read down, and one of them was this piece, the first time I had heard it. The experience was indescribable. Later that year, we went on tour to Russia, a trip which was in danger of being cancelled due to the world situation, but we went and we took American Elegy with us. We first performed in various cities jointly with military bands. The day before we arrived in Petersburg, someone hurled an explosive into a military parade, and it landed near the band, killing numerous musicians. We learned of this onstage during the sound check. Then we performed this piece for Columbine, which we all learned in the dust of 9/11, in the hall where Shostakovich's symphonies were premiered, and in memory of those musicians...our host introduced the work, which the Russian audience would otherwise have no point of reference for, in words I remember to this day, as "proof that tragedy is universal". Our director, who had been desperately trying to improve her Russian all through the trip, decided to improvise a dedication for the performance in memory of the slain Russian band members. When there was silence after the performance, she did not turn around to the audience...I recall she was looking at us heartbroken, assuming she didn't get the right point across and the audience didn't understand...then she saw most of us were overwhelmed with emotion - the audience was on its feet, standing in mute reverence, a posture they maintained for, it seemed, longer than the piece took to play. And we had, sharing our tragedies through the language of music, made an unbreakable bond. American Elegy holds a fond place in my heart.

[@cassandrawilliams685]

I absolutely loved reading this, thank you for sharing this experience you had!

[@christinekincaiddewey4791]

Thank you for sharing your history with this piece. It is extremely poignant today.

[@energyideas]

fing unbelievably moving story. thanks for sharing

[@scottsater]

WOW....just WOW, Patrick. I am listening to this as a possible performance piece for our community band. I have such reverence for the bridging and power of the connection of music as well. Following 9/11 for our Veteran's Day Program just shy of two months following the towers tragedy...we played "America the Beautiful" by Carmen Dragon...the audience was on its feet the entire piece, I later learned from parents of my band students...with tears streaming down their faces. All in grief, in reverence, in awe of the binding and bonding power of music. Your story above is incredible. Thank-you for sharing!

[@BillShenold]

Fantastically well said... you have a wonderful way with words.

[@erikrindahl6958]

I love this song, played it in high school about 15+ years ago. Played the trumpet and had the solo. Whenever I listen to it, it brings back so many memories.

[@johnnyquest9519]

I’m so glad you made this about you.

[@Sylvivi]

That trumpet solo is honestly one of the most beautiful things I have ever listened to in my life.

[@JAXTRPTR]

I remember picking Ticheli up from the airport for this concert. We ended up talking about the Parkland High School shooting that had just occurred 1 week earlier and having this piece on the concert. It just made this performance all the more meaningful.

[@marcusthompson8791]

It's always instructive to watch a composer like Ticheli conduct his own work. He, of course, knows every fiber and nuance of the piece, and therefore needs no score to read. He will just go wherever the moment takes him, and will take the ensemble with him. Beautiful work and beautiful performance, Frank.

[@LuisFlores-lt4sr]

Played lead trumpet in this piece when I was In high school 12 years ago. Still brings back emotions especially knowing why it was written. Beautiful piece of music.

[@brotherton1101]

My son played lead trumpet as well. When he went off stage to play, his friends wondered where he was going. Beautiful piece.

[@dovahkodaav1176]

Not a super commonly known fact, american elegy was actually written as a tribute to the victims of the Columbine hs shooting. Such a powerful piece filled with emotion I'm glad I got the chance to perform

[@fundaymonday4116]

After the crescendo at 6:30 is actually based on the Columbine Alma mater, “We are columbine, we all are columbine.”

[@thomascimino4120]

Dovah Kodaav117 when the music is received the story of the song is actually the very first page. Powerful stuff

[@UCCJGUY]

@@thomascimino4120 Yeah, I don't know how anyone who played this piece would not know the story behind it.

[@georgemersinger5519]

Yes it was. Good catch.

[@georgemersinger5519]

There are also a few bars of the CHS alma mater in the piece.

[@metal_nerd1980]

Played this song few years ago and we're going to be playing it again this year. I fell in love with this piece even before I knew the meaning. One of the few pieces our band director told us the meaning behind and I loved it even more after hearing the meaning. Such a wonderful tribute to all those innocent kids. This will always be one of my favorite pieces we've ever done.

[@mackenziedougherty2754]

Same here.

[@breadbird3282]

We played this piece last month in District Honor Band and I was surprised to find out that Ticheli not only arranged this piece for the Columbine shooting, but he also asked the school for their alma matter to incorporate into it. That was the day I learned that the school didn’t have one, and Ticheli wrote one for them and weaved it into his piece.

[@jacksonwhite4672]

ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!!!! THE WOODWINDS HAVE DEEP, RICH TONES!!!!!

[@khirnera]

Ticheli's vision for this piece was so different than my conductors. I played this a total of 4 times between high school and community college, and Ticheli took a few sections much faster than any time I had, and implemented rubato more often. Additionally, I'm not sure I ever heard that Oboe solo, since public school oboe players arent common. A beautiful piece written with more love than most.

[@kaynay1220]

We had 2 Oboe and it was amazing!

[@KumoriRyuX]

i played this also whem i was in high school but we didnt have a oboe, but we had one hell of a viola player, and the oboe solo on viola was probably one of the most beautiful things ive ever heard

[@davidholland6164]

My college band director actually was a senior in the same district as Columbine high school when the school shooting took place. He said whenever they went to that school for band stuff you could feel what happened there.

[@gully0079]

7:00 for trumpet solo

[@DillonM-mc6yw]

Thanks god

[@debbiewu9462]

Playing this as the seventh chair flutist in my school’s upper school band, cant wait to perform it at our concert in February!

[@PikaFunGuy]

1:35 our band director described these chord changes as pain and release and now it makes me tear up every time 😢

[@PikaFunGuy]

And we just played it tonight for our concert, and my goodness, this song is amazing 😢

[@jonathonmccarty3539]

i live this song so much im playing this freshman year and its going great so far its so beautiful and everytime i think about the though put into the saxophone melody makes me go into tears

[@johnnyquest9519]

Glad to see my Alma mater has continued to grow. Bravo

[@rileybernard2472]

I think back now to high school, and I’m truly happy I had the opportunity to play this piece, and I’ll always try to recreate that moment.

[@vaildcamel26]

I played this song in honor of the deaths at Sandy Hook as well as the 2019 9/11 memorial. It makes me cry every time but I can’t ever pass up an opportunity to play such a piece.

[@BradleyBGregory]

Yes! The French horn countermelody at 4:40 is the best I have ever heard to date - and I've performed this piece twice myself (oboe). This is exactly how I had been hearing it in my head ever since I first listened to the piece back in 2001. Thank you, Horns, for your musicality - and for following the director/composer, who clearly knows what he wanted. ;)

[@dawsonrosswurm]

GUYS OUR BAND DOESN’T HAVE A FRENCH HORN PLAYER SO I MIGHT GET TO DO IT WHILE DOUBLING BARI SAX AT 4:40

[@jacob1931]

I know it’s been a while but how did it go? I’m playing this as an oboe sophomore year right now. The French horn part is absolutely beautiful

[@dawsonrosswurm]

@@jacob1931 Unfortunately I did not get the part, but however he has moved me to French Horn for both semesters this year, so it worked out!

[@isaacandrew2087]

Fabulous performance! You all played with such emotion!

[@Hansesc2]

This piece still makes me cry.

[@milesmiller3990]

I played this too and I loved it I was playing the french horn part

[@oga0582]

love this peas my school band is playing on are way to state

[@Alex-gu7je]

I love the oboe solo

[@TheNavybrat92]

I played this 10 years ago in high school on the oboe solo. Still love this song to this day. Played all through high school and had the solo each year (up side to being the only oboe lol)

[@ashlynnking6487]

Is it just me or does 4:37 of this song sound very similar to one part in "Han Solo and The Princess" from Star Wars?

[@UCCJGUY]

Yes, horns!

[@UCCJGUY]

Ticheli looks like a sorcerer at 0:16 using his magic to get a good clarinet sound. Haha.

[@meiyohh]

woah

[@UCCJGUY]

Only one euphonium?! 🙃

[@brassmagician803]

Is it me or does it sound fast

[@karlee2446]

Omg the clarinet squeak at 3:07 lol

[@joshuatoffey9943]

2:58 *

[@mchenrymaney262]

Why is someone messing up funny?

[@hyperstargaming6150]

@@mchenrymaney262 because it’s usually a relatable pain, so we laugh.

[@katherinerives7893]

​@HyperStar Gaming right it happens all the time lol

[@alexalugones9203]

I performed this once in high school for an honor band festival and it brought tears to my eyes as I was playing. Today, I’m coming back to this piece as it came to mind after hearing about the Uvalde shooting at Robb Elementary. When will this end?

[@trptguy23]

Just not the same without the columbine alma mater being sung first

[@MrWatson658]

A little too fast for my taste. Great sounds, regardless.

[@brycecarman7173]

Oof 3:01 that woodwind squeak. Not the best performance I’ve seen. The ensemble needs to watch the conductor, but he did a great job at keeping a steady tempo.

[@young8519]

I would hope the conductor is steady since he's also the composer lol

[@offbrandman4453]

This song should not be played with a steady tempo. It is expressive and the tempo should always be changing

[@stephanieswindells158]

theres so many times in the score that it says senza rubato which basiclly means that it shouldn't be a steady tempo

[@UCCJGUY]

There wasn't a steady tempo. It's an expressive piece which calls for fluidity and rubato.

[@roselong4766]

Timpani player, don't put your elbows out so much when you're rolling.

[@stephanieswindells158]

okay i wont

[@Fuzzydice258]

some pretty weak and emotionless parts, also the tempo was way to fast in my opinion in some parts, especially when theres the quartet going on. SLOW DOWN. My high school band just played this better! only thing good is the horn sound, and the trumpets sounded very since! clarinets are not blending when the first clarinet has a high c and the 2nd has an 8. TUNING!!

[@navymusician822]

@LR Music You must be in a great band program! Are you planning to study music through college as well? Either way, I wish you the best of luck in your future!:)

[@MrWatson658]

I mean... he wrote it... so his tempo is law basically. Everyone takes it at different speeds. Tuning could definitely be better though.

[@MrWatson658]

And they also don’t follow him very well, so that probably why.

[@UCCJGUY]

You didn't play it like my band so you must be wrong. 🙃

[@johnnyquest9519]

What’s the name of your high school band? Put it On KZbin And let’s see. Put your money where that dick goes.