Wild Symphony
Dan Brown (b. 1964)
Long before I wrote stories...I wrote music. My parents were both musicians and teachers, and I grew up practicing classical piano, singing in choirs, and attending LOTS of concerts. Music was a secret sanctuary for me as a child. It calmed me when I felt frustrated, was a trusted friend when I felt lonely, helped me express my joy when I was happy, and, best of all, sparked my creativity and imagination. Even now, I play piano every day— usually after I finish a long day of writing. Music is a kind of storytelling, and the twenty-one orchestral movements in Wild Symphony—combined with their accompanying poems and illustrations—all work together (like a code, of sorts!) to tell a story . . . and reveal a funny or interesting side of an animal’s personality. If you listen carefully, you might be able to find each animal hiding in the music. Even better, every animal in this book will share with you a simple moral . . . a fun collection of “secrets to life” that will help you on your way. I hope you have as much fun experiencing Wild Symphony as I had creating it."
Dan Brown—the man behind the #1 best-selling publishing phenomenon The Da Vinci Code—is known for exciting twists, turns, and surprises. His newest surprise, Wild Symphony, unveils the novelist as a lifelong musician and composer who was inspired at a young age by Peter and the Wolf, The Carnival of the Animals, and The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.
Featuring nearly two dozen musical portraits drawn from the animal kingdom, Wild Symphony springs to life on stage and is poised to become an instant children’s classic. From the joyous rhythms of “Bouncing Kangaroo” to the mysterious melodies of “Wondrous Whale” to the hair-raising harmonies of “Brilliant Bat,” this is a very wild symphony indeed.
Wild Symphony is accompanied by a vibrantly illustrated New York Times bestselling children’s book of the same title, which has been translated in more than 20 countries worldwide.
Star Wars Trilogy
John Williams (b. 1932)
arr. Donald Hunsberger (1932-2023)
John Williams has rightfully earned a place in the hearts of all film lovers with his numerous brilliant scores to some of the best movies of the last half century. Capable of writing music ranging from tender, intimate moods to galactic battles, Williams carefully constructs each score as a separate, freestanding entity, not just background snippets. The selections in this exciting collection include The Imperial March (Darth Vader Theme), Princess Leia's Theme, The Battle in the Forest, Yoda's Theme, and Star Wars® (Main Theme)."
In 1977, George Lucas's highly imaginative entertainment experience first transported an audience to an unknown galaxy thousands of light years from Earth. The Star Wars experience was a blending of contemporary science fiction with the romantic fantasies of sword and sorcery. The story follows a young man, Luke Skywalker, on a journey through exotic worlds in a perpetual struggle of good against evil and the eventual success of love conquering all. Star Wars and its two companion films, Return of the Jedi and The Empire Strikes Back, form the center of a planned nine-part historical series.
The five movements of the Trilogy were selected by arranger Donald Hunsberger to display the excitement, beauty, and contrast in John Williams’s soundtrack for these first three films. The Imperial March, subtitled Darth Vader's Theme, represents the evil might of the Galactic Empire and the supreme villainy of its leader. Princess Leia's Theme is much gentler and pays tribute to the romantic music of the early film heroines. Musical themes are scattered and rapidly shifting in the Battle in the Forest, reflecting the cuts in the movie as the ground battle begins. The almost comedic theme of the teddy bear-like Ewoks contrasts against the huge, but mechanical, armament of the Empire's forces. The old Jedi Master of Dagobah is honored in Yoda's Theme. The gentleness and understanding of the Master is conveyed in the ethereal setting of the swamp where Yoda harnesses the power of the Force to raise Luke's crashed X-Wing fighter. The transition into the heroic Star Wars (Main Theme) seems natural as the power of good, embodied in the Force, is triumphant.
Wind Ensemble Conductor
Derek Shapiro
Derek Shapiro is director of bands and assistant professor of music at Virginia Tech where he conducts the Virginia Tech Wind Ensemble and teaches conducting. Prior to his appointment at Virginia Tech, he has held positions at Eastern Michigan University, Georgia Southern University, and Cypress Creek High School in Orlando, FL. A strong advocate for music education with nine years of public school experience, Shapiro has taught at the middle school and high school levels.
He is the co-lead editor of the award-winning Original Études for the Developing Conductor, a peer-reviewed Creative Commons-licensed collection of supplemental études designed to enhance contemporary conducting educational resources by amplifying the voices of composers from historically excluded groups. He has been published in the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series and has presented at clinics across the United States.
Shapiro received a Doctor of Musical Arts in conducting from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, a Master of Music in conducting from The University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Keene State College. He is a member of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and the Virginia Music Educators Association.
Narrator
Patricia (Patty) Raun
Alumni Distinguished Professor of Theatre Arts
Patty Raun is a professor of performance and voice. Her primary goal is to promote positive transformation by developing healthy and varied voices - both literal and figurative - in individuals, institutions, and communities.
Currently, her research focuses on the use of the tools of the theatre to develop communication skills in science and technology professionals -- helping them discover ways to be more direct, personal, spontaneous, and responsive.
Raun served as director of the School of Performing Arts from 2004 to 2016. Since August 2016 she has served as director of the Virginia Tech Center for Communicating Science.