Urban Rapture is a solo saxophone project meant to mimic street music and the different techniques musicians use to catch their audience’s ear. Spanning a few years of research and composition, this work represents my first set of solo instrumental works in one collection. Each of the numbered movements are standalone pieces with their own inspiration that can be performed alone or with any combination of the other parts. Functionally, the music intends to present an array of extended techniques to make the saxophone sound like anything but itself while challenging the simpler aspects of performance (phrase duration/air supply, uncommon fingerings, technical ceilings, etc), much like an etude of sorts.

Trash Parade mimes a famous YouTube video of saxophonist Leo P playing in the NYC subway stations. His over the top dancing and zealous use of overtones and altissimo draw the audience in whether they like it or not, setting the stage for the larger performance. This has spawned a genre of EDM-like acoustic music often referred to as “Brass House”, which frequently results in live street performances akin to parades.

Synthesis expands this soundscape by providing more extended techniques and sonic variety within the music. Utilizing multiphonics, alternate fingerings and harmonics, the movement presents various sounds to explore and develop.

Bari Me starts with a simple, funk-influenced melody. This serves as the theme, between which a series of increasingly complex variations are presented. As the listener delves deeper, the theme and variations begin to blur together and become something new entirely. The piece ends the set with a virtuosic flourish, funneling the aggression of the previous movements to a breaking point.

This piece is dedicated to the OSU Saxophone studio, and the many friends and colleagues I’ve had the pleasure of getting to make music with over the past three years.