Upon discussing the idea for this commission, Mr. DeFrancisco and I decided on writing a piece that commemorated his seniors. When he got the job at Lebanon to direct this band, these seniors were freshman. This is the first time the students he has seen through all four of their years are moving on with their life. Heavy.
So, I decided to compose a “Pomp and Circumstance” diss track. Think of it this way: every year at graduation, people in band have to play Elgar’s composition, until they simply can’t stand it anymore. Elgar, we love you, but man that piece gets so boring! This piece allows band students to air out their frustrations, and but also express the more raw emotions that people feel when they graduate: excitement, nostalgia, determination, and accomplishment.
I decided to quote “Pomp and Circumstance” directly, as it provides a very clear context to backdrop this piece and the feelings I want to convey. In line with this, I also manipulated the original melody of that piece to show what the exciting potential that music has if it were to be played on something like a dance floor.
Elgar’s tune is swallowed up by an entrancing mambo groove, as if we are turning our heads and noticing a much, much cooler graduation ceremony happening outside. This vibe holds true until the end, when a realization hits: “wait, this is it? That was fast...”. Swirling memories, as if trying to re-live each one at once before it fades away.
Copyright © 2025
Upon discussing the idea for this commission, Mr. DeFrancisco and I decided on writing a piece that commemorated his seniors. When he got the job at Lebanon to direct this band, these seniors were freshman. This is the first time the students he has seen through all four of their years are moving on with their life. Heavy.
So, I decided to compose a “Pomp and Circumstance” diss track. Think of it this way: every year at graduation, people in band have to play Elgar’s composition, until they simply can’t stand it anymore. Elgar, we love you, but man that piece gets so boring! This piece allows band students to air out their frustrations, and but also express the more raw emotions that people feel when they graduate: excitement, nostalgia, determination, and accomplishment.
I decided to quote “Pomp and Circumstance” directly, as it provides a very clear context to backdrop this piece and the feelings I want to convey. In line with this, I also manipulated the original melody of that piece to show what the exciting potential that music has if it were to be played on something like a dance floor.
Elgar’s tune is swallowed up by an entrancing mambo groove, as if we are turning our heads and noticing a much, much cooler graduation ceremony happening outside. This vibe holds true until the end, when a realization hits: “wait, this is it? That was fast...”. Swirling memories, as if trying to re-live each one at once before it fades away.
Copyright © 2025
