On May 5, Addison Trail premiered a piece during the Spring Concert that was written specifically for students in the NEED NAME OF ENSEMBLE.
The number, entitled “Nautical Quest,” was composed by John Dorhauer (https://johndorhauer.com/bio/), who is based in Villa Park.
“While there's not a specific narrative to accompany the piece, I do imagine it as a hero's journey at sea, where the opening section is embarking on the quest; the middle section is the hero traveling through a mysterious, ominous and foggy part of the sea; and the end section is emerging and fulfilling the quest,” Dorhauer said.
The process involved hosting planning meetings and an opportunity for music students to participate in a workshop with Dorhauer on NEED DATE. During that event, Dorhauer worked with students on certain musical phrasing ideas, explained the reason for how things were composed and what they should be listening for at key moments in the piece.
“That rehearsal provided wonderful insight into the music that elevated the performance and allowed the students to work with the composer in person, rather than it just being a name on the paper,” said Michael Kennedy, Addison Trail Band Director. “This was a very special project for me, as I have known and worked with Dorhauer for almost 20 years, performing his music throughout the Chicago region. Having the opportunity to share his music with my own students was very rewarding.”