“One and the Same” is an original concert band score composed by myself, and is the largest original piece I have completed in my music career. This piece was initially adapted from my final project in Dr. Andrew Cote’s Music Composition class in 2022. That final project included the main melody through the beginning and ending sections, as well as related chord structure that inspired separate sections of this piece. Other sections of this piece were inspired by the 2000’s alternative band Brand New’s song “The Quiet Things that No One Ever Knows,” and melodies from John Williams’ Jurassic Park score.
This piece was initially conceived as an ode to my college career, with its shape and story reflecting events and moments I remember well. As I continued composing, it became more of an exercise in my personal compositional skills, and a self-assessment of my music theory knowledge. The title “One and the Same” derives from the basis of this song’s composition, as I began my process the same way that I would have written a contemporary rock song (my strong suit). I did this by starting with chords, and adding a melody to what I deemed the “verse,” then added sections to be figurative chorus, bridge, and so on. As my compositional process continued, I abandoned this traditional American pop-music form for something closer to a classical ternary form (A-B-A). This is the first time I have ever written for a traditional concert band setting, and I am very proud of my results.
