Cherrywood Gazebo - Consortium 2025

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I am elated to announce a compositional collaboration with Shawn W. Davern that has been years

in the making - the creation of a brand new, multi-movement work for tuba, keyboard and drum

set. Entitled Cherrywood Gazebo, the composition as a whole will be an ever expanding set of

miniatures for the aforementioned instrumentation, all based upon the artistic inflections and

musical sororities of the amazing tubists who have inspired Shawn and myself over the years.

While the composition will feature some advanced aspects, the goal is to create a piece that is

as accessible as it is interesting.

The first iteration of the composition will consist of five miniatures, each approximately 3-5

minutes in length. Along with the tuba part taking center stage, the instrumentation will consist

of electronic keyboard utilizing different patches and standard jazz drum set that will implement

different types of sticks. The five amazing musicians of which each miniature will be based upon

are Sam Pilafian, Kevin Stees, Velvet Brown, Howard Johnson and Mike Roylance. The

Cherrywood Gazebo consortium is being led by Dr. Goode, who will premiere the composition in

Fall 2025. Please NOTE: Dr. Goode will retain total performance exclusivity until premiere in Fall

2025. Following the premiere, the composition will become exclusive to all consortium

members.

In an effort to to create accessible solutions for everyone, there will be two buy-in options:

professional buy-in: $120

student buy-in: $30

November 18th, 2024 - Consortium Opens (Link to form is below)

January 1st, 2025 - Consortium Closes

February 1st, 2025 - Payments Due

May 1st 2025 - Piece Completed and shared with consortium members

Fall 2025 - Dr. Goode premieres piece and performance exclusivity ends

Winter 2026 - Piece becomes available to public

Interested in joining the consortium? Fill out the google form below to learn about this project or

to request any sort of pertinent financial information!

Click Here!

Over the years, I have been very fortunate to not only call Shawn W. Davern a fantastic friend and

supportive colleague, but also one of the greatest musical collaborators that I ever known. We

first got to know each other during our shared time studying at Boston University, where we

performed in the wind ensemble and brass chamber music program together. In the final year of

my master’s degree, Shawn composed a multi-movement work for tuba

euphonium quartet, to be premiered on my final graduate recital. The recital premiere, as well as

the subsequent recording session that followed at James Madison University led to the

composition, entitled The Natural Lands: Suite for Tuba Euphonium Quartet, earning the 2019

International Tuba Euphonium Associations R. Winston Morris Award for Excellence in Tuba

Euphonium Composition.

That same summer, we both served as assistants for the low brass workshops taking

place at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. We were extraordinarily lucky to be placed

in the same lodgings during our time at the workshop; a gorgeous house nestled in the forest of

the Berkshire Mountains with a quaint gazebo in the front yard. While the days assisting the

workshops were busy, Shawn and I resolved to always find a time after our work had finished to

meet in the gazebo and converse. Our conversations often centered around brass playing, our

shared musical experiences, but most of all, the musicians we admired. From our dialogues, Shawn and I found that we were inspired by many of the same low brass players, resulting in

the creation of this compositional concept. As a composer and a performer, I have been

fortunate enough to interact with truly remarkable artists: Shawn W. Davern is no such exception,

and I am thrilled to embark on this project with him to pay homage to the champions of the

instrument we both love so much!