This show demonstrates the events that occur when a star begins to die, The opener shows the stars at their fullest, at their purest of life. The ballad shows the perspective from one star, watching as some of the other stars burn out around it. The fourth movement shows us its last sparks, Trying its best to stay alive and prosper, but only to finally implode on itself in the end. And then the closer shows what happens when the stars all burn out. Darkness, Loneliness, and ultimately Just the void of space is left for the last sparks of the star. The star finally gives up, and burns out.

Movement One
I wrote a show using Shades of Glass around August of last year, but I ultimately scrapped it because I felt like It didn't go so well. Fast forward to early January and I tried it again, but this time I accidently started mixing it with a melody from Dusk Till Dawn. Its In a different key of course but I still find it very impactful for a strong opener.

Movement Two
The beginning was open ended because this was originally movement three, There was a scrapped percussion break between the opener and this but I decided to scrap it because I couldn't find anything good enough to compare to the rest of these movements. There was also a time issue, so I decided to just make this the second movement.
This peace was going to be the forth movement for my high schools 2020 marching show, The Longest Night, But due to Covid-19 they scrapped it. I love this piece and since they weren't using it, I decided to make it the ballad for my show. I also think it just fits with the space theme so well.

Movement Three
There's not much to say about this one, It was added in to make the transition between Movements 2 and 3 smoother, but It ended up being a weird hybrid between both movements. I decided to make its own video on it because Movement 4 is very intense and I think this would suffice being The Third movement.
The first 4 measures are from movement 2 and the last 3 are technically from movement 4, although I count measure 6 and on apart of movement 4.

Movement Four
This has got to be my personal favorite out of all of the movements. The first 23 measures are loosely based on the original piece, but man when the Brass and Woodwinds come in this piece just goes into its own groove. From the Woodwind's melodies ,and Low Brass whole notes, to the Batteries groove and the Front Ensembles texture, This is definitely in my top 3 things I've ever written!

Movement Five
This is the closer of the whole show and I'd say the writing process went pretty smooth. The only problem when writing it was actually writing the battery parts, I feel like they didn't really fit with the theme of the score and I had to turn their dynamics down a lot from what I would have wanted. Other than that, I think this is a fine closer for my biggest show yet.
Also, some of you may remember when I transcribed this piece back in July. So rewriting it into its own thing wasn't as bad as some of the others.

Original Piece's -
Shades of Glass (Dustin Schulze)
https://soundcloud.com/tapspacepublic...​
ZAYN - Dusk Till Dawn (Official Video) ft. Sia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt2k8...​
Aurora Awakes By John Mackey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ulk2...​
My New Obsession (World Class)
https://soundcloud.com/visaudio/my-ne...​
"Monolith" for percussion orchestra (Score + Audio)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtjHU...​
Samantha's Peace - Black Ops IIII Tag Der Toten OST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAIf5...​

Time Stamps -
Movement One (0:00​)
Movement Two (2:23​)
Movement Three (5:22​)
Movement Four (5:57​)
Movement Five (8:16​)

Find the full score here:
https://musescore.com/user/34395115/s...​

When The Stars Burn Out
Carson Chlup

When The Stars Burn Out - FULL SHOW

A piece commissioned for the Mansfield Legacy High School Senior Class of 2022. An Arrangement of Various pieces from the past 4 years of Marching Band Music and Percussion Ensembles.


Marimba 1 - Carson C
Marimba 2 - Carson A
Marimba 3 - Ashlyn S
Marimba 4 - Cameron B
Vibraphone 1 - Julie M
Vibraphone 2 - Tanner K
Glockenspiel - Aaron G
Drumset - Gibb L
Auxiliary Percussion - Matthew R

Music From:
Man Vs. Machine (Arr. David Walker & Brandon Smith)
Movement 1 - The Rite of Spring - Igor Stravinsky
Movement 2 - Afterlife - Rossano Galante
Movement 3 - String Quartet No. 4 - Béla Bartók
A Window to Our Soul (Arr. David Walker & Brandon Smith)
Act 1 - Morning Alleluias - Ron Nelson
Act 2 - Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen
The Longest Night (Arr. David Walker & Brandon Smith)
Part 2 &amp; 3 - Galactic Empires - David R. Gillingham
Otherworldy - (Arr. David Walker & Brandon Smith)
Part 2 - Symphony No. 3, Op. 36: II. Lento e Largo - Tranquillissimo
I Ching - Dwayne Rice
Dreadnought - Caleb Pickering
Rochambeaux - Brian S. Mason

Our Legacy - Percussion Ensemble - Arr. by Carson Chlup

Lost In Ashes is a tragic story about a peaceful forest full of plants and wildlife that gets enflamed by a wildfire, and the life that once thrived said forest have become "Lost In Ashes"...

Lost In Ashes --
Movement One - Opener -  "The Preshow"
Original works from Nathan B
Spearheaded by Nathan B
Wind Arr.
Nathan B
Jarrod _
Daniel _
Carson Chlup
Percussion Arr.
Carson Chlup

Movement Two "The Fire"
Using works from Patrick Smith's "Wildfire"
Spearheaded by Nathan B and Carson Chlup
Wind Arr.
Nathan B
Jarrod _
Daniel _
Carson Chlup
Percussion Arr.
Carson Chlup
Connor P

Movement Three - Ballad - "The Calm Before The Storm"
Using works from Eric Whitacre's "October"
Spearheaded by Carson Chlup
Wind Arr.
Carson Chlup
Jarrod _
Daniel _
Percussion Arr.
Carson Chlup

Movement Four - Percussion Break - "Storm Rising"
Original works from Carson Chlup
Spearheaded by Carson Chlup and Connor P
Wind Comp.
Jarod _
Daniel _
Percussion Comp.
Carson Chlup
Connor P
Josiah W

Movement Five - The Closer - "All That's Left is Smoke"
An Opening Solo Excerpt From Jonathan C. Meier's Symbiosis
Spearheaded by Carson Chlup
Wind Comp.
Daniel _
Jarod _
Carson Chlup
Percussion Comp.
Carson Chlup


Overview Credits
Full Score Project Manager - Carson Chlup  (5/5 Parts)
Woodwinds Project Lead - Daniel (Natsukashii3141 on Discord) (4/5 Parts)
High Brass Project Lead - Nathan B (Nathickles) (3/5 Parts)
Low Brass Project Lead - Jarod _ (CptGingerAle9129) (5/5 Parts)
Front Ensemble Percussion Lead - Carson Chlup (Carson Chlup0187) (5/5 Parts)
Battery Percussion Lead - Connor P (connorp1058) (3/5 Parts)

Lost In Ashes - FULL SHOW

Plane of Existence was composed by Carson Chlup

Plane of Existence is a representation of the space between life and death, taking you where your soul goes after you pass and what the journey is before you arrive at your destination. This piece is intended to give off an ethereal feeling, taking the listener beyond the different ‘Planes of Existence’ to hopefully experience what it would be like to travel to a realm beyond our comprehension.
Starting with the initial transition of the soul after death, slow and somber, then giving a glimmer of light in the dark æther leading us to an unstable yet exhilarating section. Next, is a river-like plane, flowing into what feels like a waterfall of realities. Following this leap of faith, the listener is taken to a massive amalgamation of all the previous Planes of Existence. Finally, concluding with where your soul is meant to go. The piece intentionally ends inconclusively, and is to be open to interpretation based on the listener's beliefs.


Plane of Existence was written for the Stephen F. Austin State University Percussion Studio’s 2022-2023 Freshmen Class. 
-Carson Chlup

Written from Nov 21st, 2022, to March 23rd, 2023.

For business enquiries, you can reach me here,
Carsonchlup1@gmail.com

Written with Sibelius Ultimate.
Using sounds from Tapspace Virtual Drumline 2.5.

Plane of Existence - Carson Chlup - Percussion Ensemble

Aerials by System Of A Down. Arranged by Carson Chlup for DCI sized pit

Socials:
Performance Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr_2DT-5ironSYXjX5YhbeA
Score Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@CarsonChlupScoreArchives
Soundcloud
https://soundcloud.com/carsonchlup
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100080792447792
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/carson_chlup/

Official Audio on Soundcloud
https://soundcloud.com/carsonchlup/plane-of-existence-carson-chlup-percussion-ensemble
Official Video on Performance Channel
https://youtu.be/3EjSs8yh1XQ


For business enquiries, you can reach me here,
Carsonchlup1@gmail.com

Written with Sibelius Ultimate.
Using sounds from Tapspace Virtual Drumline 2.5.

Aerials - System of a Down - Front Ensemble Lot Tune - Arr. Carson Chlup

No transactions were made for this project, purely made for the joy of music for young students.
Original by Ryo Nagamatsu,
Copyright Nintendo

Coconut Mall Front Ensemble Arrangment - Carson Chlup

Shattered Hearts was composed by Carson Chlup

Shattered Hearts is the embodiment of broken relationships, Whether it be romantic, family, or friendships, Shattered Hearts takes us through the stages of love, heartbreak, and the attempt of moving on.

It starts out in a quick and radical manner, representing the sparks that light up when your heart feels something towards someone. We then go through a very slow, open section with a very limited amount of instruments and melodic lines happening, representing the vulnerability we put ourselves through for love, then entering a corral witch expands upon that prior sparse section with an overload of feelings, those same feelings being overwhelmed using the depth of instrumentation for a euphoric moment.

We then get into the energetic part of the piece, this phase of the piece is designed to move fast, phrases being short as to represent how fast time flies when you’re in love. These joyfully heartfelt sections don’t last though, we then get a hint of concern, feeling something that we don’t want to feel, the feeling that something has changed. We constantly try to fight for it, working to preserve what we have built, but we are met with this giant climax followed by immediate darkness, this sudden shift is meant to represent your heart sinking, representing the start of heartbreak.

The next chunk of the piece is slow, painful, exposed, and is meant to be uncomfortable. This is meant to represent the lowest a human can feel, the worst feelings imaginable. This part is supposed to hurt, and it’s okay to let it. This section shows how hard it can be to just exist, We slowly build on instrumentation, but it just never feels quite right, never as good as it once was, there’s something missing. The section ends with a very exposed vibraphone solo, representing that even after trying to push through it, that hole in your heart will always be there, and the damage has already been done.

This next section is meant to feel like you’re in some state of limbo. You should be past the grieving stage, but for some reason you’re still hurting. This chunk takes us through familiar melodic lines from both sections of the piece, trying to bridge the gap between happiness and sadness, we speed up in tempo going through various states of mind, mimicking how the mind can be in so many places at once.

We then get to the last chunk of the piece, starting with a reprise of the beginning in a different key, symbolizing the similarities and differences between people you chose to love. We then get into a more hopeful tone, intentionally shifting the tonal center to represent the first step taken in moving on. We explore new feelings, and revisit familiar ones. At the climax of the piece, we build into this massive open power chord, representing the differences from the other climax, unlike last time, this climax doesn’t end in darkness, It ends in melancholy; sad without having a reason to be sad. 

The end of this piece is a slow fade out, it's emotional for reasons you wouldn’t expect in a story like this, but that’s the point, everyone's story is different. Purposefully ending with the melody from the beginning in a different key, symbolizing that even when they’re gone, there’s still a part of them with you. The ending is meant to be open to interpretation, take it how you will and make your own conclusions, it purposely doesn’t end on a perfect resolved tonic note, but an octaveated 3rd to symbolize that life is open ended, we will never truly have a finished story, and that’s okay.

This piece is meant to make the listener and player feel something, encouraging them to make this story their own. Everyone's story is different when it comes to love, and the goal of this piece is to allow all facets of it. Like aforementioned, this story can be about anything, whether it is romantic, family, or friendships, you get to decide what “Shattered Hearts” means to you.

Shattered Hearts

Shattered Hearts - Carson Chlup - Percussion Ensemble

Negative Space was composed by Carson Chlup

Negative Space in art design is defined as “The empty space around and between the subject of an image”. When writing this piece, I tried to use this concept in as many ways as possible. To name a few examples, The setup is made almost completely symmetrical and mirrored, The performers are constantly moving around the set up and sharing instruments, Compositionally I use a lot of different techniques to create a variety of contrasting sections; such as frequent change of the Tonal Center, Modes, Mix Meter Sections, Metric Modulations, Manipulation of Space and Time, Polyrhythms, Splits between parts to pan to opposite sides of the setup, Timbre Changes, and many more effects and techniques that you may be able to pick up on.

My ultimate goal in writing Negative Space was to create something that is both fun and enjoyable for the Performers and Listeners, As well as expanding my abilities as a Composer. The constant use of Modal changes, Fast runs, Energetic sections, and so many more musical techniques helps in turning the exhilarating soundscape of Negative Space into what it is.

Negative Space was written for the Stephen F. Austin State University Percussion Ensemble. - Carson Chlup

Written from November 6th, 2024, to April 12th, 2025.

Socials:
Performance Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr_2DT-5ironSYXjX5YhbeA
Score Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@CarsonChlupScoreArchives
Soundcloud
https://soundcloud.com/carsonchlup
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100080792447792
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/carson_chlup/

Official Audio on Score Channel
https://youtu.be/3e9pZxRX8TQ
Official Video on Performance Channel
*Upload Date TBD*


For business enquiries, you can reach me here,
Carsonchlup1@gmail.com

Written with Sibelius Ultimate.
Using sounds from Tapspace Virtual Drumline 2.5.

Negative Space - Carson Chlup - Percussion Ensemble (Score + Audio)

This is my second completed marching show, This was my second chance at writing something big and I focused on writing harder stuff for the Woodwinds And Brass this time! I call this show Dark Wind!

Movement One
This piece uses excerpts from The Wrong Side of the Tracks & Shock and Awe. I chose these two pieces for the first movement because I originally was just writing a percussion ensemble, and then I realized how well brass could fit into it! So I did some re writing and soon enough I had a basic rough draft for the first movement of a new show.
Original Pieces 
Cavaliers 2019 CD audio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T2W9LRITQA
Shock and Awe (Jamieson Carr)
https://soundcloud.com/tapspacepublications/shock-and-awe-jamieson-carr#t=0:00

Movement Two
This Piece uses excerpts from Go Ahead & Hearts of Courage. I decided to use these pieces because at the time of writing this I really loved the piece "Go Ahead" by Alan Silvestri, and I really wanted to expand my writing abilities beyond Percussion. So I made sure to focus on the Brass and Woodwinds a lot more on this one. I wrote the rough draft for this peace in about 17 hours and eventually I ended up accidently writing the same melody from "Hearts of Courage".
Original Pieces
Alan Silvestri - Go Ahead (From "Avengers: Endgame"/Audio Only)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4ZqjZ160Hg
Two Steps from Hell - Heart of Courage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRLdhFVzqt4

Movement Three
This piece uses excerpts from Metamorph & Crystal. When writing this I knew I needed something that would sell the whole show, and I knew exactly what piece I was going to use, I was planning on using a version of the opener from The Blue Devils 2017 show Metamorph. But I ended up using a part of their closer that was based on the piece "Crystal" by Simon Dobson. 
Fun Fact! - I sent this to one of my good friends Carson Alsabrook to do a second draft over the battery parts so I could focus on the Wind, Brass, and Front Ensemble parts and he did a fantastic job! Although I did change a few things, most of the revisions he did made it to the final score!
Thanks Again!
Original Pieces
Blue Devils 2017 -METAMORPH - Marimba Head Cam - Masato Kobayashi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM18LYkBxNU
2017 Blue Devil Encore Performance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOMjdUhkH5E
'Crystal' - Simon Dobson (Euneirophrenia)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF8c-CR0eew

Movement One: (0:00)
Movement Two: (2:13)
Movement Three: (5:14)

Dark Wind By Carson Chlup
Part 3 Battery Co-composed By Carson Alsabrook

Dark Wind - FULL SHOW

We Live On is an 8 player mallet percussion ensemble (7 player + Piano). 

Instruments -
Marimba 1 (4.3 oct.)
Marimba 2 (4.3 oct.) 
Marimba 3 (4.5 oct.)
Marimba 4 (5 oct.)
Vibraphone 1 (3.5 oct.)
Vibraphone 2 (3 oct.)
Glockenspiel (2 oct.)
Piano (8 oct.)

We Live On is based on the story of a man who survived the end of the world. As the piece continues he finds more people that he must work together with, only to learn that they are not as they seem. The end of the peace results in a fight to the death, only to end on a quite victory of a man who survived the bloodbath, and Lived On...

Sheet Music
https://musescore.com/user/34395115/scores/6568454

This peace was composed by Carson Chlup

We Live On - 8 Player Mallet Percussion Ensemble - Carson Chlup

Music Education Major and Music Composition Minor at Stephen F Austin State University.

Popular tracks by Carson Chlup - Score Archive