9/11 was the date of the first band rehearsal my first year of college, a college which was within visual range of lower Manhattan. The school shut down, but the band had the reputation of a course you did not miss unless you had a doctor's note saying you were dead and you hand delivered it yourself, so we all arrived, not knowing what to do or expect, that afternoon for band rehearsal. The director selected a handful of pieces for us to read down, and one of them was this piece, the first time I had heard it. The experience was indescribable. Later that year, we went on tour to Russia, a trip which was in danger of being cancelled due to the world situation, but we went and we took American Elegy with us. We first performed in various cities jointly with military bands. The day before we arrived in Petersburg, someone hurled an explosive into a military parade, and it landed near the band, killing numerous musicians. We learned of this onstage during the sound check. Then we performed this piece for Columbine, which we all learned in the dust of 9/11, in the hall where Shostakovich's symphonies were premiered, and in memory of those musicians...our host introduced the work, which the Russian audience would otherwise have no point of reference for, in words I remember to this day, as "proof that tragedy is universal". Our director, who had been desperately trying to improve her Russian all through the trip, decided to improvise a dedication for the performance in memory of the slain Russian band members. When there was silence after the performance, she did not turn around to the audience...I recall she was looking at us heartbroken, assuming she didn't get the right point across and the audience didn't understand...then she saw most of us were overwhelmed with emotion - the audience was on its feet, standing in mute reverence, a posture they maintained for, it seemed, longer than the piece took to play. And we had, sharing our tragedies through the language of music, made an unbreakable bond. American Elegy holds a fond place in my heart.

I love this song, played it in high school about 15+ years ago. Played the trumpet and had the solo. Whenever I listen to it, it brings back so many memories.

That trumpet solo is honestly one of the most beautiful things I have ever listened to in my life.

I remember picking Ticheli up from the airport for this concert. We ended up talking about the Parkland High School shooting that had just occurred 1 week earlier and having this piece on the concert. It just made this performance all the more meaningful.

It's always instructive to watch a composer like Ticheli conduct his own work. He, of course, knows every fiber and nuance of the piece, and therefore needs no score to read. He will just go wherever the moment takes him, and will take the ensemble with him. Beautiful work and beautiful performance, Frank.

Not a super commonly known fact, american elegy was actually written as a tribute to the victims of the Columbine hs shooting. Such a powerful piece filled with emotion I'm glad I got the chance to perform

We played this piece last month in District Honor Band and I was surprised to find out that Ticheli not only arranged this piece for the Columbine shooting, but he also asked the school for their alma matter to incorporate into it. That was the day I learned that the school didn’t have one, and Ticheli wrote one for them and weaved it into his piece.

Played lead trumpet in this piece when I was In high school 12 years ago. Still brings back emotions especially knowing why it was written. Beautiful piece of music.

Played this song few years ago and we're going to be playing it again this year. I fell in love with this piece even before I knew the meaning. One of the few pieces our band director told us the meaning behind and I loved it even more after hearing the meaning. Such a wonderful tribute to all those innocent kids. This will always be one of my favorite pieces we've ever done.

ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!!!! THE WOODWINDS HAVE DEEP, RICH TONES!!!!!

Ticheli's vision for this piece was so different than my conductors. I played this a total of 4 times between high school and community college, and Ticheli took a few sections much faster than any time I had, and implemented rubato more often. Additionally, I'm not sure I ever heard that Oboe solo, since public school oboe players arent common. A beautiful piece written with more love than most.

My college band director actually was a senior in the same district as Columbine high school when the school shooting took place. He said whenever they went to that school for band stuff you could feel what happened there.

1:35 our band director described these chord changes as pain and release and now it makes me tear up every time 😢

Playing this as the seventh chair flutist in my school’s upper school band, cant wait to perform it at our concert in February!

7:00 for trumpet solo

GUYS OUR BAND DOESN’T HAVE A FRENCH HORN PLAYER SO I MIGHT GET TO DO IT WHILE DOUBLING BARI SAX AT 4:40

I played this song in honor of the deaths at Sandy Hook as well as the 2019 9/11 memorial. It makes me cry every time but I can’t ever pass up an opportunity to play such a piece.

I think back now to high school, and I’m truly happy I had the opportunity to play this piece, and I’ll always try to recreate that moment.

Glad to see my Alma mater has continued to grow. Bravo

i live this song so much im playing this freshman year and its going great so far its so beautiful and everytime i think about the though put into the saxophone melody makes me go into tears

This piece still makes me cry.

Yes! The French horn countermelody at 4:40 is the best I have ever heard to date - and I've performed this piece twice myself (oboe). This is exactly how I had been hearing it in my head ever since I first listened to the piece back in 2001. Thank you, Horns, for your musicality - and for following the director/composer, who clearly knows what he wanted. ;)

I played this too and I loved it I was playing the french horn part

Fabulous performance! You all played with such emotion!

love this peas my school band is playing on are way to state

I love the oboe solo

I played this 10 years ago in high school on the oboe solo. Still love this song to this day. Played all through high school and had the solo each year (up side to being the only oboe lol)

Is it just me or does 4:37 of this song sound very similar to one part in "Han Solo and The Princess" from Star Wars?

Ticheli looks like a sorcerer at 0:16 using his magic to get a good clarinet sound. Haha.

Yes, horns!

woah

Is it me or does it sound fast

Only one euphonium?! 🙃

Omg the clarinet squeak at 3:07 lol

I performed this once in high school for an honor band festival and it brought tears to my eyes as I was playing. Today, I’m coming back to this piece as it came to mind after hearing about the Uvalde shooting at Robb Elementary. When will this end?

Just not the same without the columbine alma mater being sung first

A little too fast for my taste. Great sounds, regardless.

Oof 3:01 that woodwind squeak. Not the best performance I’ve seen. The ensemble needs to watch the conductor, but he did a great job at keeping a steady tempo.

Timpani player, don't put your elbows out so much when you're rolling.

some pretty weak and emotionless parts, also the tempo was way to fast in my opinion in some parts, especially when theres the quartet going on. SLOW DOWN. My high school band just played this better! only thing good is the horn sound, and the trumpets sounded very since! clarinets are not blending when the first clarinet has a high c and the 2nd has an 8. TUNING!!