Elegy for a Classmate

There was silence in The Band Room. The seats were slowly filling with silent musicians holding their instruments waiting for a downbeat. The news of our classmate’s suicide was just settling in. Amongst the silence, the two main themes of “Elegy for a Classmate” resonated in my mind. These two themes, lush and yearning, combine the beauty of life and the tragedy of the life taken. The piece has an uneasy feeling with the pushing and the pulling of tempos and the tensing and the releasing of harmonies. Melodic lines, themes, and individual notes are passed around the ensemble, painting a variety of musical colors and nostalgic emotions. This piece is dedicated to my classmate’s family and the many lives affected by suicide.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline phone number is 1-800-273-8255.