Austin Symphonic Band. November 22, 2015 concert at Austin ISD Performing Arts Center in Austin TX. ASB performing Rippling Watercolors by Brian Balmages. [NOTE: Click 'more' to read the program notes.] Music Director Richard Floyd conducting. Concert title: "A Fall Tapestry". Videography by Golden Arm Media in Austin TX. Audio recording by On Site Digital, Randy Bryant owner.
Program notes by David Cross:
Rippling Watercolors (2015)
Brian Balmages (b. 1975)
Brian Balmages is the Director of Instrumental Publications for the FJH Music Company. Active as a composer, clinician, and conductor, he is well-versed in every aspect of his music-from score, to classroom, to stage. About "Rippling Watercolors," he writes the following:
"The title comes from a range of inspiration. I often get asked about my last name. As most can imagine, there are very few of us left in the world. At present, my wife and I are one of only two couples in the United States who carry on our family name. My cousins Ben and Carrie on the west coast are the other couple, and they now have two beautiful girls. We all share a lot of beliefs-we encourage our children to be creative, spontaneous, and we enjoy watching where their imaginations take them. The idea for this piece came from a simple set of watercolors. When children get hold of these and use their imagination, the most amazing things can happen. Children can see things that adults never see. They open their minds while we help them grow and learn. With a little imagination, these watercolors can become a magnificent sunrise or sunset over the ocean, a gorgeous view from the mountaintop, or an image of a supernova in space. The smallest drop can change the pattern and create something entirely new, either with a brush or entirely with nature. It is my hope that Lily and Charlotte grow up with an infinite palate of watercolors, and that every drop creates a new, fantastic world."
"Rippling Watercolors" is dedicated to the composer’s cousins Lily and Charlotte Balmages, who, combined with his two boys, form the next generation of the Balmages name in the United States.