Kindred Spirits: Our Second Piece Of Music For Cmea

Tragic Yet Beautiful Kindred Spirits was selected as our second piece of music for CMEA on May 7, 2016, because it is a tragic ballad that symbolizes the loss of two of our own. We use a motto in band when preparing for CMEA. The motto goes as follows: Establish your Unanimous Superior in the first song, Earn your Unanimous Superior in the second song, and Don’t lose your Unanimous Superior in the final song. Through the use of a story, symbolism, and complexity, this piece will help us earn our Unanimous Superior after establishing it in the first piece of music, Overture Jubiloso. One reason Kindred Spirits was chosen was because it has a tragic background. On February 1, 2008, four people were murdered by Nicholas Browning. These people were his father, mother, and two brothers. His brothers, Gregory and Benjamin, were both percussionists in the Cockeyville Middle School Band. Brian Balmages, a composer that went to the

For example, the sound of a single chime was played four times to represent the four family members that died. We also play unison notes, like the concert F, to represent the unbroken bonds of the Browning family. This shows the complexity of the piece because the tempo varies throughout the whole piece to create suspense for specific parts.

The last reason we chose this piece was because of its complexity. For example, there is a lot of contrast to this piece as it juxtaposes emotions such as confusion, anxiety, and joy. In Kindred Spirits, exposed notes are played throughout the piece, which shows the vulnerability of the band. As well as worrying ourselves on notes and rhythms, we have to worry about tempo. Kindred Spirits has a lot of slow moments, so dragging or rushing are issues that could make us lose our Unanimous Superiors if we fall