In this episode I talk to my old friend Chris O'Hara about the news of John Williams stepping away from film music. Chris and I went to junior high and high school together, and we've always shared a mutual admiration of Williams and his music. In fact, we both pursued careers in music largely because of his influence on our younger selves. 

Chris O'Hara is a professional trumpet player, music educator and doctoral student at the University of Illinois (Urbana/Champaign); you can learn more about him and hear recordings on his website. 

In this episode, I talk about one of my newest works for concert band, Hope and a New Dawn (Grade 3/3.5). I discuss the long road it took to writing this piece, and share some thoughts in my decision-making when it came to writing the melodic material. 

Be sure to listen until the end, as there is a performance recording of Hope and a New Dawn, with myself conducting the Arlington Heights Community Concert Band (Arlington Heights, IL)! 

For more info on this piece, including ordering info, click here. 

Thank you for listening! 

Welcome back to The Composer Chris 'Cast! 

In this second episode, I talk about the plans I had for myself early in my adult life, and how conversations with friends had me re-evaluating my composing goals. The key lesson: it's all about the journey. And this leads in to a brief look at Crossover, the piece that I have selected as the theme song for the podcast. 

Thank you so much for listening!