My Process
When I compose for marching band I start with the musician first and then think outward. I have found percussion sections are often a strange mix of veteran performers, piano players that didn’t want to play winds, and the new kid who just joined and doesn’t read music. Providing each performer with level appropriate part that can still make a meaningful contribution during a competition is my primary goal.
Wildfire -Battery|Front Ensemble|Sound Design by Levi Carpman
Wildfire was adapted from Jay Dawson’s Invincible and Richard Saucedo’s arrangement of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite. The show design was inspired by recent forest fires that had threatened the band’s town, and how they overcame that adversity. I had a senior percussion section, and had a lot of freedom to write some tough music for them, including a drum break featuring individual solos (m. 44). I also had the pleasure of not only writing their score, but directing both sections as well.
A Brave New World – Battery|Front Ensemble by Levi Carpman
A Brave New World is an adaptation of Dvorak’s New World Symphony arranged by Steve Martin, Aaron Hines, and Dan Bryan. The score came complete with a robust percussion score, and most of what I did was arrange the existing score for the smaller instrumenation the band had without losing the details or impact that made the original great.
The Incredibles -Front Ensemble by Levi Carpman
The Incredibles score by Michael Giacchino was one of my favorites growing up, and getting to take Jay Bocook’s arrangement and write my own front ensemble music was a blast. Retaining iconic melodies was a must, but I tried to incorporate my own voice and staples of the marching band medium into it as well.
Levi Carpman 