Name: Vivaldi's Spring, for Minnesota by Lee Blaske
Duration: 2 min
Description: A revised version that's more appropriate for Minnesota's sometimes cold and snowy springs. With soprano Maria Jette.

Did you do the whinny? And did you slap Maria? Enquiring minds... you know.

too funny, ellie thought it sounded like Christmas.

Inspired by this wonderful shot of an Asphalt Dog and a Burnt-Orange Leaf by Maria Jette.

The Asphalt Dog and the Burnt - Orange Leaf

MK8 prototype- Bass and High boosted

'The Soil', by Brittany Delaney, spoken within 'We Shall Overcome', as sung by Robert Robinson at For Pete’s Sake: Celebrating Pete Seeger’s 95th Birthday, May 3rd, 2014 at the Fitzgerald Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota.   Produced by Larry Long and American Roots Revue.  Sponsored by Community Celebration of Place. www.larrylong.org   www.communitycelebration.org


The Soil
By Brittany Delaney

The soil has seen so much where we are growing up
Has swayed with history
And waltzed with the hands of inequality
A romance
Kissed on the lips of generations long before we  arrived here

we paddle feet across this very dirt
Tracking over footprints so deep we stumble in the ridges
Swing on trees were strange fruit dangled
Turn corners on the tips of angels whose wings lie like murals
On top of shoulder blades
that carry the bridges that will link us from one hand to another


The soil has seen so much where we are  growing up
Has danced through the deafening sounds of disparity
Ballads played on the keys of human instruments
Melodies of inhumanity swirled into the blueprints of the sidewalks we play hopscotch on
Drenched into the music that lulls generations of family into separation
The soil
Where our grandparents patted
Tattered too tight shoes for miles to school houses not designed to teach them freedom
Where the sirens spray from blue and red lights
Unearthing the heartbeats from frightened souls who recognize the Jim Crow in the soundtrack
Symmetrical like hands above heads and prayers above tongues
Where mother’s arthritic hands have been broken into permanent steeples by late nights and empty beds in their wombs
Seen the marching of all colors  
Linked hands and arms fighting back bones forward


we paddle our  feet across this very dirt
Tracking over footprints so deep we stumble in the ridges
Turn corners on the tips of angels whose clipped wings lie like murals
On top of shoulder blades
Scared and beaten
But not defeated

some ask why not take the easier road
The less scenic route
Why not be like those who walk with their eyes closed to history as though it would stop guiding the way of our future if we just ignored it
Like the drums in our blood could stop beating if we just stopped listening to the snare line   
It is because we have to
Because every day we wake with one more opportunity to move air through our lungs
our necks have the duty to stay in alignment with the sky
our minds,
the responsibility to shovel deeper grooves into ridges embedded in the palms of our hands like hieroglyphics maps from God
we take this road because
this is the world that the meek shall inherit
That our children’s minds will make home in
daring young leaders waiting to run
their torches held high in hand
spirits unbroken like healing
like believing
like tomorrow
Because it chose us
Because there is too much before and after for us to pretend like we didn’t see the hands of ancestors lying like angel wings spread wide in our dreams
Interlocked with the steal of revolutions holding up our feet from birth
Whispering the hymns of equity deep into our souls
singing melodies of freedom in the wind
singing melodies of overcoming in the wind
sinding melodies of purpose in the wind


We paddle our feet across this road everyday
Tracking over footprints so deep
we will often stumble in the ridges but….

Our hands
though scared
                          are bridges
                                                 each finger
                                                                     representing
one half of a pink promise to overcome

we are all meant for this

we are all meant to develop
                                            what was planted
in the soil

Copyright Brittany Delaney 2014
All Rights

'We Shall Overcome: Brittany Delaney with Robert Robinson

First Movement of a piece for 12 trumpets premiered at the International Trumpet Guild conference at the University of Denver in 2004. All parts performed by Steve Wright
Copyright 2004 © Steve Wright Music Endeavors

Three Impressions for Twelve Trumpets #1

A revised version that's more appropriate for Minnesota's sometimes cold and snowy springs. With soprano Maria Jette.

Vivaldi's Spring, for Minnesota

A victorious and triumphant piece of sports theme music...

Game Changer

I studied jazz piano with the great Brazilian jazz artist Manfredo Fest.  At the end of one of my lessons he mentioned that he always wanted to record a Xmas CD--but, never got the chance.  He then played some of his favorite Xmas songs for me--and, as expected, the cassette recording of this is not very good.  But his playing was wonderful.  Enjoy!

Manfredo Fest Christmas Tunes

Thank you to Harry!
Recorded at high depth and bitrate with a handheld pro-level recorder.

Lush and dreamy

When You Find Your Wings

This is the 2nd movement of a piece written for the ITG Festival of Trumpets in 2004. I recorded and mixed all of the tracks & sent each participant a copy of the recording and their PDF part. As a result, it was easy to rehearse & perform at the conference.
Copyright 2004 © Steve Wright Music Endeavors

Three Impressions for Twelve Trumpets #2

This is the 3rd movement of a piece written for the ITG Festival of Trumpets in 2004. I recorded and mixed all of the tracks & sent each participant a copy of the recording and their PDF part. As a result, it was easy to rehearse & perform at the conference.
There are several choruses of blues - play along!
Copyright 2004 © Steve Wright Music Endeavors

Three Impressions for Twelve Trumpets #3

Composer/orchestrator/producer/ keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Lee Blaske is in continual demand for recording projects and live music performances of all kinds. His orchestrations are found on the albums of many Flyte Tyme artists such as: Janet Jackson, Sounds of Blackness, Mariah Carey, Gladys Knight, Boyz II Men, Johnny Gill, Evelyn “Champagne” King and Color Me Badd as well as those of Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Celine Dion, Mary J. Blige, Nona Gaye, The Dream, The Boys, The Steeles, and Amy Grant. 

Over his career, he has worked on many music packages for major market radio and television stations. His long list of commercial credits includes Coca Cola, Target, Mattel, Walmart, Best Buy, United Airlines, Porsche, Tour de France, Rollerblades, Lee Jeans, Kemps, Rite Aid, Ameritech, the Minnesota Twins, Toro, Purina, Bissel, Easy Spirit, Perkins, Friendly’s, the Minnesota Lottery and many, many others. He can often be seen performing with a variety of jazz groups in the Twin Cities area.

Vivaldi's Spring, for Minnesota

Lee Blaske

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