This piece has had quite a journey. I originally approached several band directors at the end of 2018 about a piece to celebrate the new decade, planning to write a piece that would communicate optimism and opportunities about the future. Then in early 2019 I found myself looking for a new teaching job, which I was fortunate to find over the summer. So the piece was bumped back a bit.

Then, COVID - 19 happened.

I fought past my initial resignation to scrap the idea, but decided that I wanted to contribute to a spirit of perseverance, encouraging the idea that things will get better, and we will get past this as we work together. A new day will come. That idea became the inspiration for Hope and a New Dawn.