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Woodsplitter Fanfare
Brian Balmages
The title of this work stems from an incident that I witnessed while serving as a guest conductor for the Deer Path Middle Orchestra in Lake Forest, Illinois. While waiting to premiere a new work (To Tame the Raging Rapids) with the group, I watched the orchestra perform on stage. A viola player went to put her instrument into playing position and the chin rest slipped off. She lost her grip on the instrument, and I watched in horror as the instrument fell to the ground. Even worse, the entire instrument cracked, from the tailpiece to the top. Brett Pepowski was only in 8th grade and could have completely fallen apart on stage, but I watched with amazement at how calmly she picked up her instrument and waited for others to finish. At that point, others were able to quickly find another viola, and she finished the entire program. This is a reminder of how we all experience unfortunate incidents, but it is in the aftermath of those experiences where we see the true definition of our character. This piece is a way to sustain that music-making, so we can leave the frustrating moments behind and celebrate all that it means to be a true musician. 
Program notes by the composer. Published by FJH Music Company Inc.
Woodsplitter Fanfare
Brian Balmages
The title of this work stems from an incident that I witnessed while serving as a guest conductor for the Deer Path Middle Orchestra in Lake Forest, Illinois. While waiting to premiere a new work (To Tame the Raging Rapids) with the group, I watched the orchestra perform on stage. A viola player went to put her instrument into playing position and the chin rest slipped off. She lost her grip on the instrument, and I watched in horror as the instrument fell to the ground. Even worse, the entire instrument cracked, from the tailpiece to the top. Brett Pepowski was only in 8th grade and could have completely fallen apart on stage, but I watched with amazement at how calmly she picked up her instrument and waited for others to finish. At that point, others were able to quickly find another viola, and she finished the entire program. This is a reminder of how we all experience unfortunate incidents, but it is in the aftermath of those experiences where we see the true definition of our character. This piece is a way to sustain that music-making, so we can leave the frustrating moments behind and celebrate all that it means to be a true musician. 
Program notes by the composer. Published by FJH Music Company Inc.