Sonar's Riddle

-

The title of Sonar’s Riddle is an anagram of "Dr. Daniel Ross," and stands as a tribute to a musician known for both his kindness and humor. 

Dr. Daniel F. Ross (1944-2019) was a Professor of Music at Arkansas State University, where he taught the double reed studio from 1968 to 2018. During his illustrious career, he became known as not only a world-class musician, but an innovator in the field of reed-making with his Ross Gouging Machine. As a performer, he served as Principal Oboist with the Arkansas Symphony and performed with the North Arkansas Symphony, Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra, Tupelo Symphony, Delta Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Nashville Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, and the St. Louis Chamber Music Society. He was a frequent soloist with the Forum Sinfonia of Krakow, Poland, touring with them in the United Stated and Europe. He held the title of Visiting Professor of Oboe at the Academy of Music in Krakow, Poland and has been a soloist with the St. Petersburg and Moscow Philharmonic orchestras in Russia.

As a teacher, Dr. Ross stressed the importance of expression. For him, being a musician was an extension of being human. In order to make music, one must cross the threshold from producing technically accurate sounds into a mysterious and sometimes elusive realm of heart, love, compassion, gentleness, and joy. In Dan Ross’ studio, one learned that a musician capable of evoking strong emotions must first be a person of great character.

Dan Ross excelled in all things musical, but more importantly, he was an excellent man. He may well be remembered as a great musician, a great performer and teacher, or as an innovator in the art of reed making. But his true legacy lies in the hearts that he touched and the lives that he molded.

I count myself fortunate to have been one of many.

Sonar’s Riddle is a brief musical portrait of Dr. Dan Ross, attempting to capture the essence of his kind spirit and boundless humor. I have arranged versions for both oboe and bassoon in order to reflect his role as mentor to the entire double reed studio at Arkansas State University, where I was fortunate to study bassoon under his guidance.

LISTEN on YouTube

PURCHASE on SheetMusicPlus (Oboe)

PURCHASE on SheetMusicPlus (Bassoon)

 

Popular posts from this blog

Groovin’ Goliath (and the slingshot of doom)

-
Image
Groovin’ Goliath (and the slingshot of doom) for saxophone choir combines elements of blues, traditional and non-traditional tonal structures, shifting metrical landscapes, and saxophonic sound effects in this retelling of the epic tale of David and Goliath. The giant still loses the fight, but the biggest saxes reign supreme in this battle royale! Scoring: SSAAATTB(Bs) - 2 Soprano, 3 Alto, 2 Tenor, 1 Baritone, Optional Bass which doubles Baritone. World Premiere: 2018 World Saxophone Congress by the Arkansas Saxophones under the direction of Dr. Jackie Lamar (University of Central Arkansas, retired) On YouTube at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Beq3Hy2sh0&t=1s Advanced Techniques: Slap-Tongue (all parts), Multiphonics (Baritone)
Read more

Nevermore

-
Image
As this is an unaccompanied piece, ANY saxophone is acceptable. While most soloists will undoubtedly opt to use alto or soprano, the composer welcomes renditions of this piece on any of the larger saxes as well. This piece was inspired by Nevermore: An Evening With Edgar Allen Poe, a single act play featuring Jeffrey Combs. My good friend, Dr. Brent Bristow of Arkansas State University, Beebe, convinced me to go see the play when it was presented there in March of 2018. That performance by the legendary Mr. Combs inspired this piece. Why unaccompanied saxophone? Brent Bristow and I have been close friends since high school, and since he is the one who convinced me to see this show, and given that he plays classical saxophone (yes, that IS a thing!), I figured saxophone would kill two birds with one reed… or something like that. The show itself is a one-man performance, so that’s why this piece is unaccompanied. I toyed with the notion of including some text from the show. Eventua
Read more

Bombadil

-
Image
Bombadil is a musical portrait of one of the lesser-known characters from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of  the Rings. While he never made it into the LOTR movies of the early 21st century, Tom Bombadil is  nonetheless a pivotal character in Tolkien’s epic novel, saving the hobbits from certain doom on more  than one occasion. The character is a wild juxtaposition of contradictions: at once fanciful and  fearsome; silly and sagacious; terrible and tender; whimsical and wise. While he seems childishly  ridiculous at times, Tom is undoubtedly one of the most ancient and powerful living beings in the  Tolkien mythology.  This composition attempts to capture the mystery and mischievousness of Tom Bombadil through rich, thick harmonies, angular melodic motion, and highly syncopated rhythms. The piano is treated as a full member of the duo, rather than mere accompaniment for the soloist, in this challenging sonatina. LISTEN on YouTube PURCHASE on SheetMusicPlus
Read more