Program notes
Having had what had seemed to be a practical plan perturbed for a piece I had hoped to finish over the summer, I was at a bit of a loss as to what to do next and felt I was in a creative rut – interim seemed an apt descriptor for that time. So, I listened to music and rediscovered some bossa nova pieces I had enjoyed when I first got into the style, learning the comping patterns in high school, and tried writing again.
Although the rhythmic backbone of the piece is bossa nova, the melodies, harmony and overall structure are more idiomatic of early pop/soul – taking inspiration from the discography of Barbara Lewis that I was also listening to at the time, with harmony predominantly relying on planing diatonic chords across the scale and cushioning the dominant as a suspended chord. This creates a pleasant, soft sound I think works well with the relaxing layers of percussion provided by the bossa nova rhythm section.
Composer biography
David has been engrossed in the world of music for most of his life. He began learning the piano in primary school and adopted clarinet as his primary instrument in 2015 alongside a budding interest in composition. He has since composed in a variety of styles for a variety of groups, from big band and wind symphonies to small chamber groups and solo instruments.
David is finishing a Bachelor of Science majoring in Chemistry and Geographical Science at Monash University, taking respite in music theory electives, and arranging and composition courses outside as personal study. He is an active member of the Grainger Wind Symphony, having joined in 2022, and the Knox Wind Symphony, having joined in 2024, and has had the privilege to write multiple pieces for debut by both these groups.