"Our Dog Is Love" was written in response to a listener challenge I offered during the Fall 2024 Pledge Drive for WUTC-FM public radio. It was "Pet Day" and I offered to write a song about their pet for someone giving generously. A listener gave $2,500 in honor of her dog Bea and her late husband who rescued the dog. I am grateful to the talents of Emily Waddell, lead vocal, Nick Hoy fiddle/violin, Stephen Brannen, guitar, and Taylor Brown, bass.

Our Dog Is Love

The Final Set: A Grey Day in the Midlands (Original, Annika)/Fead an Iolair (Ireland)/Skye Dance (Scotland)/Port Mháirtín Shéamuis (Ireland)/Reconciliation (Ireland)/Fox Hunter's (Ireland)

The Final Set - Live at Conor O'Neill's Ann Arbor

Rodney Dorsey, conductor / University of Oregon Wind Ensemble / University Singers / Carolyn Quick, soprano / Cole Blume, tenor

The Thaw for Soprano, Tenor, Mixed Choir and Wind Ensemble (2016) was commissioned by Rodney Dorsey for the University of Oregon Wind Ensemble and University Singers who premiered the piece on May 28, 2016 in the Silva Concert Hall at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts (Eugene, Oregon). The work is dedicated to the memory of University of Oregon mentors Anne Dhu McLucas, Lawrence Maves, Steven Larsen, and Charles Dowd.

I was drawn to the vivid detail and sensuality of Artis Henderson’s writing style, especially her honest portrayal of emotional pain and healing. Her poem, The Thaw, was written for this project; it draws upon imagery from Oregon’s rich, natural beauty to explore themes of love, loss and healing. The form of the musical work follows the text from a stunned and frozen stasis through the warming of spring.

I am grateful for artistic support from Rodney Dorsey, Artis Henderson, Sharon Paul, Brian and Kaisa Amer.

-- Notes by Andrea Reinkemeyer

The Thaw

I am the bud curled tight against the cold.
I am the bulb beneath the snow.
I am the white sky, the long night, the crack and shudder of ice.

I wait beside the adder’s tongue, the cobra lily, the purple hyacinth
for the soil to stir and the river to swell.
I wait through mist and hail.

I am fog and breath and cloud.
I am the cherries on the branches, too green.
I am rain.
And rain.
And rain.
And then --

I am the windows flung open to catch the sun,
my mouth like cherries,
the heat building in me.

I am leaf-touched, sun-tasted, petal-kissed.
I am wind and light and sky.
I am the cleft in the ridge; I am the river --
roaring, roaring,
flooded with rain.

-- Artis Henderson

Copyright © 2014 Artis Henderson.
Used by permission of Artis Henderson.

Instrumentation: 
Piccolo, 2 Flutes, Oboe, English Horn, Clarinet in B-flat, Bass Clarinet, Bassoon / 2 Horns in F, 2 Trumpets in B-flat, 2 Tenor Trombones, Tuba / Timpani, 4 Percussion*, Harp / Soprano, Tenor, SATB
* Percussion 1: Marimba (4.3), Vibraphone, Large Tam-tam
* Percussion 2: Large Concert Bass Drum, Wind Gong, Metallic Windchimes
* Percussion 3: Kick Drum, 2 Toms, Bongos, Woodblocks, China Cymbal, Glass & Bamboo Windchimes
* Percussion 4: 5 Temple Blocks, Sizzle Cymbal, Triangle

RENTAL: https://www.adjectivenewmusic.com/store/p277/The_Thaw.html

The Thaw for Soprano, Tenor, Mixed Choir and Wind Ensemble (2016) - (LIVE, Premiere)

Jigs: Nina's (comp. Niall Vallely)
          Rory Gallaghers (comp. Gordon Duncan)
          B-)

Hazletunes

December 1 2012
University of Michigan
McIntosh Theatre

Toons (2012)

Composed by Ron Amchin

Performed by:
Dan Graser - Soprano Saxophone
Jacen Paige - Clarinet

Toons

"it comes in waves" is a composition for prepared vibraphone and electronics commissioned by Gloria Yehilevsky in 2019 for her "Waveshape" recital program, representing a large wave (and its parallels with life itself) as it comes up, with ebbs and flows throughout. The electronic track is created exclusively from processed samples of vibraphone sounds recorded by Gloria.
credits
released September 25, 2020

Gloria Yehilevsky - prepared vibraphone, tracking engineer
Samn Johnson - composition, electronic production, mixing engineer
Toshihisa Tsuruoka - mastering enginner
Rosanna Miller, Josh Bench, Isaac Sadovich - sampling session tracking engineers

it comes in waves (with Gloria Yehilevksy)

I am an American recently graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelors degree in music composition. I started learning piano at age 6 and have been composing ever since. At age 10 I began studying the clarinet. I played clarinet in woodwind ensembles and orchestras, and also played jazz saxophone. My first major influences were Beethoven, and Swing: especially Benny Goodman. I love classical music, including late Beethoven, Chopin, Mahler, Richard Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Berg's Violin Concerto, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, and Shostakovich, as well as jazz including Benny Goodman, Cannonball Adderley, Dave Brubeck. I also greatly enjoy the music of Chris Thile (bluegrass), Inti Illimani, Bob Marley, and Bela Fleck.
If you are interested in my scores, please contact me at ramchin@umich.edu.
Thanks for checking out my music!


Toons

ron amchin

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