Written in collaboration with Colin Frederick for his senior capstone piece at UMKC. 

Her Secret is Patience is the first of three segments in a larger work exploring patience in many kinds of relationships. This part focuses on finding patience in others.

Her Secret Is Patience

Noosphere was commissioned by Taylor Scott-Brooks, a friend that I have performed with, but have never met. The piece is inspired by a performance where we performed saxophone duets in two different physical locations simultaneously, where Taylor was at the concert in Maryland and I performed via web conference. The concert was part of the Instant Chamber Concert series where performers are given one week to learn new compositions written by students at the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University. A few months after our performance, Taylor commissioned me to write a saxophone duet and I was brought back to our first interaction. The word Noosphere means “the sphere of human thought” and it refers to both our head-space and the sphere of invisible data flying through our skies.  
 
The three movements of Noosphere convey different aspects of the idea of Noosphere. The first movement, Meditation on Orbis Factor, deals with the head-space. The second movement, Currents, is inspired by the wires that physically transport information. The third movement, Wires, is about the connections formed between us by the Noosphere.

Noosphere III: Wires

Noosphere was commissioned by Taylor Scott-Brooks, a friend that I have performed with, but have never met. The piece is inspired by a performance where we performed saxophone duets in two different physical locations simultaneously, where Taylor was at the concert in Maryland and I performed via web conference. The concert was part of the Instant Chamber Concert series where performers are given one week to learn new compositions written by students at the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University. A few months after our performance, Taylor commissioned me to write a saxophone duet and I was brought back to our first interaction. The word Noosphere means “the sphere of human thought” and it refers to both our head-space and the sphere of invisible data flying through our skies.  
 
The three movements of Noosphere convey different aspects of the idea of Noosphere. The first movement, Meditation on Orbis Factor , deals with the head-space. The second movement, Wires , is inspired by the wires that physically transport information. The third movement, Currents , is about the connections formed between us by the Noosphere.

Noosphere II: Currents

Noosphere I: Meditation on Orbis Factor

WeeklyBeats 2018 1/52

A simple beat made from household objects. I tried to have a little fun with it

HouseBeatz

I just imagine a happy little plant dancing in the sun. Like one of those solar powered toys or a pianta from Super Mario Sunshine :)

Photosynthesis (Pianta Dance)

Montauk Monster is a 3-part electronic piece inspired by the Netflix Original, Stranger Things. In Montauk Monster, a beast escapes from an experimental research facility and wreaks havoc on the surrounding area.

Montauk Monster

In London, the tube is as polite as the people seem to appear. Things are more familiar to you, but still slightly off kilter.

Asleep On The Train -- London

Amsterdam is a bustling city. No more so than any of the others, but its construction and organization are significantly different. Here you are overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of the city and your rest reflects the same feeling.

Asleep On The Train -- Amsterdam

ENTITIES was written in collaboration with Ayana Roberson as part of UMKC's Advanced Choreography class. In Entities, three territorial creatures from a strange world meet and interact for the first time.

Entities

FROZEN ATMOSPHERES for Alto Saxophone and Video was written in Wisconsin, a particularly cold and snowy part of the US. The work is comprised of three short movements each of which strives to convey a different affect. The electronic portion of the work uses many different samples, from saxophones, a large trash can, and water, to ice melting and a prayer bell. While writing Frozen Atmospheres I was thinking of my experiences living in both Maine and Wisconsin and the frozen otherworldly nature of the winters in each location. 

Program note by the composer

Andrew Seager Cole: Frozen Atmospheres

Frank Nawrot: Lament

TRIATHLON was composed for Zach Shemon who, in addition to being a world-class saxophonist, is also a competitive triathlete.  My own connection to the triathlon is solely as a non-competitive, yet avid, fitness and touring cyclist; what I lack in racing experience I make up for in a shared love of exercise and the great outdoors.  I realized after creating a significant collection of material for this piece that it fit nicely into three sections, and that these could represent, at least loosely, the three events of a triathlon.  One of the earliest recorded triathlons occurred in Marseilles in 1921, and it featured the events in the order that I chose (bicycling, running, and swimming -- an order that seemed to make the most musical sense).  The basic material for each section felt reminiscent of the way the movements in each event feel to the body (fluid and fast; rhythmic and jaunty; fluid and slow).  Elements of the previous sections flitter through the subsequent ones, just as moments from an earlier portion of a race will flash through the competitor’s mind.  Though the first two sections reach defining climactic moments, the final section is structured more like a coda.  Having done enough long-distance cycling to know how this feels, there is certainly exhilaration upon hitting the finish line, but it is tempered by complete exhaustion. 

- JM

Jim Mobberley: Triathlon

ONE NATION UNDER GOD is a work for 5.1 surround sound tackling the issue of gun violence in America. This recording is a stereo mixdown. With the rise of publicity surrounding mass shootings and inaction from our elected representatives I have decided to take a stand against gun violence with sound. This is a problem that is close to my heart as I recently lost my father due to gun violence. Gun control is one of many policies that we should agree on as a country, but are somehow unable to focus and set aside our differences when it comes to this issue. My goal is to give the listener a visceral, realistic, and emotional glimpse into what it is like to experience gun violence first hand.

One Nation Under God (Stereo) **GUN VIOLENCE WARNING**

SUGAR HILL SERENADE is based on the poem "Harlem Sweeties" by Langston Hughes. "Harlem Sweeties" is adoringly dedicated to the beauty of black women in Harlem, New York, and paints a vibrant, glowing image of all their diverse skin tones. The verses are luscious, nostalgic, and joyful. In writing SUGAR HILL SERENADE I sought to bring that joy and nostalgia to the forefront by using harmonic language that, in my mind, corresponds with warm colors in the poem, such as "honey-gold," "cocoa," "pomegranatelipped," and "blackberry cordial." The rhythm and contour of each musical phrase are based on specific lines from the poem, and the performer moves freely from one section to the next. This gives the piece a relaxed, conversational quality that helps listeners take a deep breath while they close their eyes and imagine walking around Sugar Hill.  

—Laura  Whitney-Johnson

Laura Whitney-Johnson: Sugar Hill Serenade

Metamorphosis is inspired by the life cycle of a butterfly and my struggle with depression and mental illness. Just like a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, depression causes you to change into a stronger, more beautiful version of yourself. In this piece, I wanted the players to mature as the piece goes on. The ideas and text get longer and more complex as it progresses. Special thanks goes to Ariel Downs, for commissioning this piece and for inspiring me to take on such a worthwhile challenge.

Metamorphosis

Written in collaboration with Colin Frederick for the 2019 UMKC Dance Collaboration.

​
This piece focuses on regaining a connection to a higher power.

Highest Good

This cue was written for the HBO & Spitfire Audio Westworld Scoring Competition

Footage used with the express permission of HBO

In this cue, I focused on what I felt was missing from the scene as it was aired on television. The creators decided to use Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries", which was apropos to the content of the scene, but it severely lacked the sort of intensity that one would expect from a Hollywood car chase. In this scene, we see the full extent of Dolores' power. With her command over the world around her, she truly becomes The Orchestrator of Destiny.

Sheffield: Westworld Chase Scene, "The Orchestrator of Destiny"

Kameron Sheffield is a Composer-Performer based in Detroit, MI. Kameron holds a Bachelor's in Music Composition from the University of Missouri--Kansas City (c/o 2019) and also graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy (c/o 2014). As a composer, Kameron straddles the line between music and what he refers to as 'sound art'. After all, music is just sounds arranged in a particular order over time. Kameron has been commissioned by artists such as: Ariel Downs, and the Parlando School of Musical Arts.

KozmicMusic

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