Commissioned by the Inland Empire Youth Wind Symphony Commissioning Consortium.
The commissioning consortium includes
Dr. Jeffrey Boeckman, Inland Empire Youth Wind Symphony / CSU-San Bernardino
Dr. Luis Gonzalez, Colton High School, Colton, CA
Mr. Charles Gray, Martin Luther King Jr. High School, Riverside, CA
Mr. Brian Gallagher, Norco High School, Norco, CA
Mr. Adam Kehl, John W. North High School, Riverside, CA
Mr. Kevin Morton, San Gorgonio High School, San Bernardino, CA
Mr. Michael Gaylord, Valley View High School, Moreno Valley, CA
Originally written for orchestra, Courage for Winds is a bold, powerful work, rhythmic and melodic with underlying snare drum military-like heartbeat. Opening melody from the brass is taken over by the woodwinds and then the saxophones. The work is inspiring and heartfelt. Brass and Piccolo players love this piece. An outgrowth of my battle with Breast Cancer, Courage for Winds speaks to the strength in all of us to overcome adversity in our lives. Jeff Boeckman and the Inland Empire Youth Wind Symphony premiered the work. Subsequently, Courage for Winds has been performed by numerous groups including The Long Beach Municipal Band, Larry Curtis, conducting, The West Point Military Band, LTC Commander Tod Addison, Conductor and Los Angeles Symphonic Winds, Stephen Piazza, conductor. Particularly suitable for patriotic programming as well as an opener for most any concert.
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