My piece will be published in the Beginning Level Volumes of the Celebrating in Diversity in String Music Anthology! This is a huge milestone for me as a composer because I have never had one of my works published before! Written in the key of G major, this piece is a Grade 2 and is written for string orchestra. There is an optional 3rd violin part for orchestras that do not have violists to cover the viola part. As always, I hope you enjoy my work! :)

Marina And Luna

*Headphones recommended*

This was a fun piece I put together as a celebration for Juneteenth and Pride Month! As always, I hope you enjoy my work!

SStarss

Darius Edwards - Soprano Saxophonist
Eric Reed - Pianist

*If you like this piece and would like me to arrange it for your instrument, please let me know! I’ve already arrange a score for alto saxophone and another for Bb Soprano Clarinet!*

“Where Will My Flowers Go?” revolves around the theme of unrequited love and all the emotional turmoil that comes with it. It is also a love letter to my dearest self and a reminder that no matter what, I am deserving of love and kindness. 

For those of you that were with me for my first ever Black and Boujee event, you may recognize a nod to the melody from "Take What's Yours", the piece I wrote and performed that night. For those of you unfamiliar with this event, it is an evening of celebrating Black artistry hosted by The Black Musicians Alliance, a student-led organization that I co-founded in the Fall of 2019

A few other sources of inspiration behind this piece include the music of Whitney Houston, and a poem I once wrote. I have always admired the sheer power behind Whitney's voice and how she could easily sustain notes at the top of her range. One song of hers that has especially influenced my writing in this piece is entitled "Greatest Love of All". Below, you will find the poem I wrote that led to the birth of this piece:

Where will my flowers go?

To grow
To bloom

To dance
To sing
 
To wilt
To die
 
To You?
To Me.

As always, I hope you enjoy this piece! :)

Where Will My Flowers Go?

“On Fire, Under Fire” is an angsty, experimental piece that I wrote to express the plethora of emotions birthed from witnessing my community constantly under attack. Let it be known that I stand firm with my LGBTQ+ family as they have taught me many lessons and helped me grow into who I am today. Some days, I feel weary from shouldering the anger that consumes me when I worry about the future of my family. Cliché be it may, music does speak where words falter. 

“On Fire, Under Fire” is also a piece to express the complicated emotions that have followed me since graduation. To be totally transparent, I have felt so lost and lonely since then. I know for a fact that I want to continue composing and performing, however, figuring out how to stay afloat while doing what I love has not been easy. I knew it would be a difficult road from the start, it just feels overwhelmingly lonely sometimes. My work continues to speak for itself. However, I find myself stumbling to answer the question that plagues me from faces both new and old: “What are you doing these days?” “I don’t know” is an answer I refuse to give when so many people have helped push me get to this point. 

In retrospect, it seems as though “On Fire, Under Fire” is also an unofficial call for help and encouragement during such a challenging time. It is the call from someone who is used to figuring it out for themself and accepting failure as punishment. This is me attempting to swallow my pride and ask for that help and encouragement.

As always, I do hope you enjoy this piece of music.

On Fire, Under Fire

“vBBQ” (2022)

This is a piece that I had the pleasure of working on with the Volunteer Brass Quintet during my final semester at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville! Fun Fact: the name is a play on the ensemble’s acronym “VBQ”. I chose “vBBQ” as a title placeholder until we brainstormed more ideas, however, the name ended up sticking. :)

This is the first time I have written a piece for brass quintet and can’t wait to add more to my legacy as a composer. If you or someone you know is looking for a lyrical piece for brass quintet, I would HIGHLY recommend this one! I hear the composer is considering adapting it for wind ensemble. 👀

The Volunteer Brass Quintet is an endowed student ensemble of the School of Music comprised of the highest achieving students in the brass area. It is coached and directed by Dr. Alex Van Duuren, Assistant Professor of Trombone.

Lexy Kilgore - Trumpet
Nathan Coffman - Trumpet
James Roddy - Horn
Hugh Lindsay - Trombone
Logan Clark - Tuba

vBBQ

This is a short piece that I've been writing in a manner similar to how one would write in their journal so to speak. I have so many smaller works like this one that are just sitting around so I figured I'd start sharing them. I hope you enjoy!

Everything You Were Not

Sometimes, writing a short piece or song like this does more for me than journaling can ever do. The more I compose, the more I realize how precious of a gift it is to bring new music into this world. I'm thankful to have been busy with my larger projects, however, it is nice to take some time to write for myself. To express those complex emotions I feel without the worries of if it is playable or if people will like it is freeing. This is "Spring on the Rocks" for solo piano. As always, I hope you enjoy my work!

Spring on the Rocks

*Headphones recommended* 

In Latin, the name "Marina" means "of the sea" and "Luna" means "the moon". I was inspired by a trip I took to the beach several years ago. My family had stayed in a condo overlooking the beach where the view was nothing short of incredible. I spent the evenings outside on the balcony watching the moonlight dance on the waves as I began to write. Like most of my pieces at the time, this one was eventually placed on the back-burner. I revisited it last year when the orchestra at my university began reading pieces by student composers. Because there were so many great composers interested in the reading session, cuts had to be made. Unfortunately, my piece was one of the unlucky ones that day. I then used the feedback and disappointment I felt as motivation to write and perform even better music. That is when I began writing "Take What's Yours" for saxophone and piano. The melody was taken directly from "Marina and Luna" and used in a totally different context. 

Fun Fact: The opening melody is heavily inspired by the first ten seconds of the "Fountain of Dreams" stage from Super Smash Brothers Melee!

As always, I hope you enjoy this piece!

Marina and Luna by Darius Edwards

Soliloquy in Amber

To those that have been following me for a while, you may notice that the melody in the piano has been extracted from my last piece "Soliloquy in Amber". I chose to write "Rum on the 'Flo" for jazz trio because it allowed me to explore the realm outside of my comfort zone while using a familiar melody. Although I have no formal training in jazz, some of my favorite projects have come out of this genre! Constructive feedback is always welcomed, especially from my friends in the jazz department! As always, I hope you enjoy this piece!

Rum On The 'Flo

Darius Edwards is an award-winning saxophonist and composer based in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville with a Bachelor's degree in Music Education with an emphasis in Saxophone Performance and a minor in Music Composition.

dari_dee_maestro

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