Brandon Nelson

On the heels of finishing up two pieces for concert band, I have received funding from a consortium of five excellent tubists to write a piece for unaccompanied tuba. It will be based on the mystical, sometimes elusive fragments of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus. I also just received a commission from the University of Texas at Tyler for a trumpet and piano piece, with the possibility of a…

I recently finished this grade 2 piece for concert band! Enjoy! Nestled beneath the Kentucky sky, Jessamine Creek Gorge unveils its secrets in whispers of wind through ancient trees. Here, limestone cliffs cradle the creek’s gentle embrace, while sunlight dances upon its rippling surface. A symphony of nature’s finest, where wildflowers paint the forest floor with hues of emerald and gold. The…

A setting of a favorite hymn-tune “Benediction,” this grade 3 selection is perfect for special tributes, concert closers, or anytime the band performs.

Any passage within a piece of music, I think it may be agreed, can be classified in one of four ways: expository, transitional, developmental, or terminal. This represents a basic macrostructural analytic viewpoint. It can be valuable to hear, create, and analyze music on those terms. However, in my view, there are many pieces in which there are really only two valid macrostructural classes:…

Commissioning Contract for Composers (Free Template Download) http://wp.me/p2035V-bY

When you’re a young composer and your work is starting to make the rounds, you’ll likely have performers or ensembles become interested in commissioning work from you. This can be a great (and profitable) experience–if you know how to navigate the territory of the patron-composer relationship. The number one principle (and the focus of this article) is the need for there to be a contract in place…

I really love teaching.  Whether it’s rehearsing large ensembles or working one-on-one with young composers, I get a deep feeling of satisfaction knowing I helped someone grow. Teaching composition, though, has had ramifications not just for my students, but for me.  Indeed, a common issue I had come to notice–and the solution I ultimately came up with–will forever have resonance within my own…

1 – Alan Jacobus (a retired, legendary band director from my neck of the woods but since has returned to his homeland in Kentucky) has commissioned me to write a grade 2+ piece for a community band he is starting. The challenge from me (which I welcome) is to write well and creatively below the grade 4 level, which I don’t often do. 2 – Dr. Eileen Yarrison (followers of my work are familiar with…

One of science’s great unsung heroes, Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) was aprophet of the electronic age. His research laid much of the groundworkfor modern electrical and communication systems, and his impressiveaccomplishments include development of the alternating-current electricalsystem, radio, the Tesla coil transformer, wireless transmission, andfluorescent lighting. Yet his name and work are not…

Introducing…America! In this rousing opener for concert band, we hear many familiar patriotic songs and folk tunes woven together into a fascinating tableau.

There was a moment in history when people went crazy for Sousa. He, with his professional band, would barnstorm all over the world and everywhere would be met by huge, adoring crowds. Little Ishpeming, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, was even treated to a few visits by the biggest act of the era! Here are some headlines from the local press: March 10, 1906 – Headline from Iron Ore Newspaper: JOHN…

I was born, raised, and presently live in, Ishpeming, Michigan (with a few different stops along the way). I suppose most people have warm feelings about their hometown, but I truly think Ishpeming is someplace special. The name Ishpeming comes from the Ojibwe word ishpiming, meaning “above”, “in the air” or “on high,” appropriate given that it lies in elevation above most of the surrounding…

I went to Kingsford High School (Kingsford, MI) to do a “touch up” rehearsal before the premiere. Here are some pictures from the event. I had a blast! I love working with high school bands! (The local TV station link may have some video.) Here’s the link to the TV6 WLUC news story.

Experience wild, primordial rhythmic drives in this wild ride for concert band reminiscent of engaging ancient dances!

Aphrodite, a goddess within the Greek pantheon, was a being of unparalleled beauty and charm. She was the governess of romantic love and had innumerable suitors. In order to prevent the god of Olympus from destroying each other to earn her hand, Zeus decided that she should marry Hephaestus, the humble blacksmith. The marriage was not to work. While Hephaestus labored in his forge to make…

Sometimes a piece you wrote a long time ago gets a new crack at life. That’s what I’m hoping with my sax quartet. It was a student work and not bad as it was, but I’ve given myself the opportunity to take another swing at it, shine it up, fix the quirks, and really make it what it was meant to be. A perfect recital or concert piece for advanced quartets presented in four movements. Enjoy! Get…

Well, maybe not quite Stockhausen-y things here, but definitely not the strict serialistic procedures of Schoenberg et al... Compositions methods, generally speaking, are as “simple” or “complex” as you choose to make them. If you want non-tonal methods of composing that don’t rely on a 12-tone row and its basic operations, I have a few ideas here you can play around with that other composer…

A piece of music, even an apparently very simple piece, presents to us a whole universe of ideas and approaches to them. We therefore need a way to organize these ideas in ways that help us to make sense of them, to understand better what the composer was trying to convey, and to become better composers ourselves. One manner of doing so is dividing up a piece of music into its large component…