Cait Nishimura
Ready to Fly
Duration: 2"
Ready to Fly, Cait Nishimura (2021) 2'
for concert band
Ready to Fly represents a parallel between young birds and young developing musicians. Just as fledglings learn to use their voices to make the beautiful bird sounds we all know and love, young musicians develop a familiarity with the language of music and learn to communicate and inspire through sound.
The melodies in this piece were inspired by real bird calls: the charming and easily-recognizable two-note call of the black-capped chickadee, and the musical fanfare-like three-note call of the red-winged blackbird. I was also inspired by songbirds in the construction of the piece, using layering and call & response sections to imitate antiphonal bird calls.
In working on this project, I felt strongly about creating a piece that contributes to both musical and social-emotional growth of students at this level. My hope is that this piece will empower students of all levels to feel “ready to fly” in their musical and personal pursuits.
Commissioned by Robbinsdale Area Schools with support from the Seven Dreams Education Foundation
Difficulty: Grade 1
Instrumentation: Flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, trumpet, horn, trombone/baritone, tuba, piano (opt.), glockenspiel, snare drum, percussion
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About the Work
Duration: 2"
Instrumentation: Concert Band
