After taking a week off to spend time out of town, I’ve again attacked this new composition. (A reminder — this composition is for a traditional brass quintet, written as a theme followed by five variations of fragments of that theme. Read more on the project’s home page.)

Here’s where we are:

• Full thematic statement can be presumed to be finished, though, as always, things might still change.
• Variation #1: “The Song” is also finished — being the shortest and simplest of the variations, it’s doubtful it’ll change.
• Variation #2: “The Skip” may undergo a few updates in the next week or so, but its structure is complete, and I’m liking it more and more.
• Variation #3: “The Pause” is seriously underway, but as yet unavailable in its completed form. However, you can get a peek into it in two places: “The Fragments” page, which has all of the small pieces I’m using to build the theme and variations (including #3), and the “Full Composition” page, which gives a very small excerpt at its end hinting at the direction #3 will go.

As I mention on their pages, all of these pieces are subject to change (and when they do, the YouTube links will be replaced as old versions go dead). Watch this blog for further updates. Or go to the portfolio home page for “The Brass Variations,” which will always have the full story.

By all means leave a comment below. I especially want to hear from brass instrumentalists!