This is a piece about love. The title translates to "A Lifetime of Love," which I believe best describes the idea represented in this piece: the journey of love that we all take in life. Love is a dynamic thing; it takes on several forms and has its ups and downs. There are moments of joy and laughter and moments of sadness and tears, but a single thread of love ties them all together. And you may find that while change is inevitable, many things remain fundamentally the same. 

When you listen to this piece, I want you to think about those you love, be they family, friends, or significant others, and reflect on where your journey has taken you and where it will take you still. 

Apologies for the low volume. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't make it louder without sacrificing the sound quality.

Une vie d'amour

My final project for my Choral Arranging class was an original composition for SATB choir and piano. 

This song is intended to be an elegy. The 3-note motif that opens and closes the piece consists of the notes D, A, and C#. This is meant to represent my dog, Daisy, who passed away on March 30, 2014. Though she served as the inspiration for this song, the text could be applied to anyone.

Lyrics:
Shine your light from far beyond.
Illuminate this world
As you had done before.

Shine
As I make this wish to you:
Embrace me with your warmth,
If only just once more.

Just like the stars that fill the sky,
You guide me through the darkest nights.
Your voice calls out to me in gentle sighs
And soothes this aching soul of mine.

Shine
While I lay in solitude.
I know the time has come
To spread your wings and soar.

Shine,
Though you sleep just out of reach.
Your light dwells in my heart
And will shine forever more.

Shine (MIDI version)

My final project for my Choral Arranging class was an original composition for SATB choir and piano. The live recording was the first sight-read performance and was done in one take, so it came out less than ideal (which is why I uploaded the MIDI version as well), but overall it was a wonderful performance. 

This song is intended to be an elegy. The 3-note motif that opens and closes the piece consists of the notes D, A, and C#. This is meant to represent my dog, Daisy, who passed away on March 30, 2014. Though she served as the inspiration for this song, the text could be applied to anyone. 

Lyrics:
Shine your light from far beyond.
Illuminate this world
As you had done before.

Shine 
As I make this wish to you:
Embrace me with your warmth,
If only just once more.

Just like the stars that fill the sky,
You guide me through the darkest nights.
Your voice calls out to me in gentle sighs
And soothes this aching soul of mine.

Shine
While I lay in solitude.
I know the time has come
To spread your wings and soar.

Shine,
Though you sleep just out of reach.
Your light dwells in my heart
And will shine forever more.

Shine (Live Recording)

I had the wonderful opportunity of having one of the arrangements I made in my Choral Arranging class read by the Frost Chamber Singers, and this is the result! This is a modernized arrangement of the classic folk song Greensleeves. I'm very proud of how the arrangement turned out and I could not be happier with this performance!

Greensleeves for SATB Choir and Piano (Live Recording)

This is the third (and probably final) installment in the Suite Pour Avina, a collection of video game arrangements for my dear friend, Avina. This movement is a departure from the first two in a few ways: it is an arrangement of a tune not from Animal Crossing, but from Donkey Kong Country 2, and it is more of an uptempo and jazzy number. However, in order to keep some consistency with the first two movements, I decided to restrict the instrumentation to piano and strings. 

Suite Pour Avina - III. Stickerbrush Symphony

I wrote this piece in my senior year of high school as the product of my senior project. Though I had composed several pieces prior to Nocturne, I consider this my Opus One because it was the first fully-realized composition, and the first I had transcribed in its entirety. I originally wrote it for violin and piano with the intention of premiering it with one of my best friends in high school. For this recital I rearranged it for trumpet and piano so that I could perform it with my best friend in college.

Nocturne (Trumpet and Piano arr.)

I had never done something quite like this before, and I was so excited to try it at my recital. My method for composing is essentially a process of improvising on the piano and extracting passages and motifs that appeal to me. This performance was meant to give an inside look at my process. Think of it as a live composition. The reason I nicknamed it "Reverie" was because I hoped to create a dream-like effect by jumping from idea to idea, all of which are seemingly unconnected yet somehow form a cohesive train of thought.

Improvisation No. 1 - "Reverie"

In 2011, I came across a local band comprised of several friends from high school known as Stork. I was quickly swept away by their folk rock style of music and attended several of their concerts. In 2012, I was given the opportunity to join them in concert, and we played many gigs the following Summer. I wrote this piece hoping I would one day premiere it with Stork, and, sure enough, I did. I wrote the music and left the title and lyrics up to the band's founder and lead singer, Matt Verdier. There are no lyrics as of today (which, indeed, does make this a strange hymn), but the song holds up very well as an instrumental piece.

Strange Hymns (Live Recording)

This piece for bass duet and piano is inspired by and dedicated to the 17 victims of the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy and the survivors who carry their legacy.

Aftermath

This is my arrangement of the classic American folk song, Shenandoah, for choir, string orchestra, and piano. After the success of Invictus last year, I had many requests to write a piece for this ensemble again, and this is what I came up with. I wanted to give a more modern spin to the original tune.

I keep it real. You know how it is.

Joseph Kenneth Burleson