Shockachi

A Note From the Composer:

In the Fall of 2021, I had the pleasure of witnessing the Texas All-State process for the first time, not as a student or teacher, but as the husband of a first-year choir director (and therefore, full-time chaperone). I began to meet many incredible music educators from west Texas, and one of those people was Dr. Frank Eychaner, choral director at the University of Texas at Permian Basin in Odessa. He invited me to attend one of UTPB’s choir concerts, and then to my surprise, asked to commission a piece from me! Frank wanted a faster, more rhythmic piece, which I hadn’t yet been able to really do for a choral piece before, so I really enjoyed putting it together. It ended up taking on a much more adventurous persona than I thought it would! We also thought it would be fun to do something pretty unique in the choral world – create a made-up text. I wrote the music first, then came up with the text; it was definitely the hardest time I’ve had setting “words” to music. But what’s special about the text being “gibberish” is that it forces you to focus on the meaning of the music. So as you listen, close your eyes and think to yourself, “What is this music telling me? What is it trying to show me?” You might be surprised at how clearly you see the answer.

After the release of Shockachi, I created a shortened version of the piece to make it more accessible to younger/smaller ensembles, and it was premiered by the New Canaan High School choir in Connecticut under the direction of Sarah Gleason in the Spring of 2023.