This work experiments with different ways of grouping and combining groups of the eight saxophone players. The ensemble is divided primarily into two quartets. Pitches and rhythms disagree between the two groups. As the work progresses, players in the same group begin to work together to build larger structures. Eventually, the groups coalesce into a single, large group that reaches a conclusion sharing material as a unit.

This performance is by the Hippocrene Saxophone Ensemble, for whom the work was composed, at the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference at Texas Tech University in March 2016. 

Score and parts PDFs available here: https://gum.co/ungroup

Ungroup (2016)

David's music has been performed at venues around the world, including Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall. He is from St. Louis, Missouri and received a B.M. in composition and trumpet performance from the University of Missouri - Columbia and a M.M. and D.M.A. in composition from Michigan State University. He has studied composition with Ricardo Lorenz, W. Thomas McKenney, and Stefan Freund. 

David has been honored by the BMI Student Composer Awards, the Sinquefield Family Foundation, and Michigan State University Honors Competition. He has been commissioned by the Hastings College Symphonic Band, h2 Quartet, and others.

David is one of the founders of [SoundNotionTV](http://soundnotion.tv), a podcast network featuring audio and video shows about music and the arts. He serves on the board of directors of [Null-state](https://www.nullstate.org/), a non-profit organization promoting research and education in computer music. Previously, he served as president of the [Central Florida Composers Forum](http://cfcomposers.org/), Director of Digital Media for the [Timucua Arts Foundation](https://timucua.com/), and founder and co-Artistic Director of SCENE&heard, a new music concert series at the [(SCENE) Metrospace](http://scenemetrospace.com/) gallery in East Lansing, Michigan.

He teaches composition, theory, and technology at Wichita State University. He has previously taught at the University of Central Florida, Grand Valley State University, and Michigan State University.

email: davidjohnmacdonald@gmail.com

Ungroup (2016)

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