Personal Retreat Leads to “Contentment”

This time last year, I was on retreat in Washington on the Lewis River. My days were filled with hiking, meditating, and writing music. It was a sweet 4 days of time alone in nature, away from my daily workaday life.

During that April retreat, I wrote the first draft of a piece of music inspired by my meditation practice, which came to be Contentment. My composing partner, Kelly Dugger, helped me complete it and orchestrate it for symphonic band.

On April 12 of this year (this Saturday!), I will be conducting the Portland Gay Symphonic Band (PGSB) in a performance of Contentment. Kelly is coming up from her new home in Las Vegas for our performance. Just over a week ago, I went down to Las Vegas for the premiere of Contentment played by The Desert Winds which Kelly conducted.

We are very excited to have the PGSB perform our work, since it was these very players we thought of as we arranged and scored Contentment.

Please join Kelly and me for the Oregon premiere of Contentment at PGSB’s concert, Curtain Up!.

Saturday April 12, 2014, 7:00pm
Cleveland High School
3400 SE 26th Avenue, Portland 97202
Freeee!
Donations accepted at the door.

Artistic Director Joe Accuardi-Gilliam conducts music of the stage. In addition to our composition, you will hear Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet, Bernstein’s Candide Overture, selections from Wicked, Oklahoma!, and Jesus Christ Superstar.