Good quality headphones or speakers recommended for listening.

I completed this piece in the fifth semester of my DMA at the Frost School of Music. The school year began in August, a month that saw three high-profile mass shootings in two states that I have called home: one in El Paso, TX, another in Dayton, OH less than a day later, and the third in Midland-Odessa, TX. In total, 40 lives were taken.

Concurrent to these shootings, the Democratic presidential hopefuls were in the middle of campaigning to secure the party’s nomination to run for the office of president. One of the candidates was Robert “Beto” O’Rourke, a former Texas congressman from El Paso. O’Rourke made several comments on the shootings and about improving gun control laws in the following weeks, including at the September 12, 2019 Democratic debate. At the debate, after being asked about his proposal in which he suggested a mandatory buy-back program for military-style weapons, he now famously said, “Hell, yes, we’re going to take your AR-15…” referring to the kind of gun used in the Midland-Odessa shooting.  O’Rourke’s quote resonated with me and I felt moved to write a reflection on these events. This piece deals with the complex emotions (loss, loneliness, anger, etc.) surrounding the seemingly stagnant gun debate in the United States, so I made O'Rourke's statement the core aspect to my piece "Take."

Take (fixed media)

Bryan is a flutist and composer based in Cleveland, OH. Primarily writing original music and arrangements for jazz ensembles and chamber groups.

Take (fixed media)

Bryan Kennard