Nature of Trees, The

From Wind Repertory Project
Cait Nishimura

Cait Nishimura


General Info

Year: 2022
Duration:
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Cait Nishimura Music
Cost: Score and Parts – Available 2023


Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute I-II
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet II
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion, including

  • Chimes
  • Glockenspiel
  • Hi-Hat
  • Snare Drum
  • Suspended Cymbal


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

The Nature of Trees is dedicated to everyone in the music education community. To me, the nature of trees is love, resilience, patience, strength, adaptability, interconnectedness, and so much more. The nature of trees is to co-create an environment in which everyone can thrive, and I think this is a perfect metaphor for what we do in music education.

This piece was commissioned by the National Band Association [NBA] at Indiana University [IU] to be premiered by the IU Concert Band, conducted by Dr. Jason Nam. The students asked me to create a piece that would explore the emotional experience of returning to band after an extended hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I wanted to give them something hopeful, but I also wanted to be honest. This chapter of our lives has been tumultuous, heartbreaking, and transformative; we are not returning to the world we knew before. Writing this piece meant facing these feelings and allowing them to exist alongside gratitude and optimism. And so, this piece includes a wide spectrum of emotions, including moments of joy, yearning, hesitation, nostalgia, and of course, hope.

The members of the NBA-IU collaborated with the IU Center for Rural Engagement, and invited four local high school bands and their directors to participate in this project: Paoli High School (Bill Laughlin and Christian Karkosky); Salem High School (Bonnie Harmon); Brown County High School (Matt Finley); and Southridge High School (Lannie Butler). I am grateful to these communities for their support of this project and thrilled to have been able to contribute to a meaningful musical experience for their students.

As a small gesture of appreciation to the trees that sustain all life and provide inspiration for music such as this, one dollar from every sale of this piece is donated to Tree Canada. To learn about this organization and their meaningful work, visit https://treecanada.ca.

- Program Note by composer


Media

(Needed - please join the WRP if you can help.)


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • Laurier University (Waterloo, Ont., Can.) Wind Orchestra (LaToya A. Webb, conductor) - 6 February 2024
  • Cleveland (Ohio) Youth Wind Symphony Group II (Mark Awad, conductor) – 2 March 2023
  • Sonoma State University (Rohnert Park, Calif.) Concert Band (Andy Collingsworth, conductor) - 12 December 2022
  • University of Maryland and Maryland Community Band (College Park) - 28 October 2022
  • Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio) Symphonic Winds (Joshua Leslie, conductor) - 19 October 2022
  • Indiana University (Bloomington) Concert Band (Jason H. Nam, conductor)– 8 February 2022 *Premiere Performance*


Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music


All Wind Works


Resources