Home

TACOMA PORCHFEST!

1:30pm @ 2021 S. 7th St.

August 5th, 2023

---

---

PROGRAM

LUMBERING – If you’re anything like me, then you have also spent the better part of the last few years playing too much Zelda… A fantastical open world video game filled with terrible monsters and horrendous, lumbering giants! This song is about a giant stomping their way across the land while smaller critters look on with intrigue, or run for cover!

CARDIAC MISDEMEANOR – At 36 years old I had emergency open heart surgery! It was a shock because I considered myself pretty healthy and I was young for such health problems… I started writing this song in my hospital bed a few day before my surgery. It starts with a heart beat, then my anxiety building as I learning about how my heart is failing. An uplifting melody breaks through that is the theme for my amazing partner Katie giving me courage during this scary time. All my anxiety and worry peaks as I go into surgery, then there is the slow confused post-surgery daze as I begin my recovery. Katie’s theme return on french horn as she supports me and cares for me during my slow two month recovery.

ABSTRACT MUSIC – This is the most recent song I’ve written and the only song composed specifically for this ensemble’s instrumentation. When my composing teacher asked what the story behind the song was I said there was no story, just musical ideas. He replied, “Ah, so this is some abstract music.” BAM! we have a title. I wanted to compose more complex music which moves and morphs. So here I throw the melody around to different instruments and jump into new section with little transition.

EXODAN FLEET – My favorite song that I’ve composed. I started writing it in June 2022, inspired by one of my favorite sci-fi book, “A Record of a Spaceborn Few” by Becky Chambers. An incredible story about the very probable future for humanity. Once Earth was completely destroyed and rendered uninhabitable, the last generations of humanity are Finally able to overcome their petty differences and work together. Their only means of escaping a dead planet is to deconstruct all buildings, monuments and human architectural marvels and harvest the raw material needed to build enormous Space Arks. This songs starts with an alarm sounding on the flute. There is a lot of rhythmic ambiguity and driving pulse to represent the race against time. Tension builds as humanity’s task seems insurmountable. The song ends with launching the Exodan Fleet, escaping the dead Earth, but only to drift through the void…

HOW WE MET, THE LONG VERSION – My family and I have gone through a very rough time after the death of my brother in June. His death also occurred just days before me and my partner’s wedding. Stricken with grief, we knew we would not be able to go through with the wedding and decided to cancel it. The wedding party was going to have a karaoke party. Well, seeing as how I have already conned a bunch of very talented musicians into playing well below their pay-grade, it wouldn’t hurt to also turn them into karaoke backup band so I could serenade my one true love!

This amazing pop song is written by the Swedish indie sweetheart Jens Lekman. Jens has an amazing ability to take a dull or unremarkable situation and turn it into absolute poetry! This is the story of how he met his partner for the first time. Their meeting wasn’t anything particularly amazing, so he makes it amazing by starting from the very beginning of Time and Space and chronicling EVERYTHING that happened leading up to that moment…

---

PERFORMERS

Brendan Allen – Bass Clarinet, Composer. Life long musician and multi-instrumentalist. Brendan starting composing symphonic music in 2021. He also plays clarinet in TACOMARAMA Community Street Band and the Tacoma Community College Symphonic Band.

Callie Kurtz – Trombone

Colin Speirs – Horn. Colin Speirs is a hornist with the Rainier Symphony, teaches privately with Briar Thomas Conservatory, and teaches music in the public school setting as well. He is a father of four who has called Tacoma home for the past 8 years. 

Darrel Rohar – Oboe

Jacob – Percussion. Find more about Jacob on his Instagram @theolalladrummer_jacob. Also check out his involvement with the Olalla Community Club at https://www.facebook.com/olallacommunityclub?mibextid=ZbWKwL, and their website is https://olallacommunityclub.org/

Jami Stavlo – Clarinet. Jami Stavlo is still figuring out what she wants to do when she grows up. She’s playing clarinet with Sardonic Philharmonic and also enjoys learning other instruments which have included oboe, saxophone, ukulele and trumpet. She works in education and also creates fabulous bicycled-based balloon art as the Balloon Biker. 

Ken Jacobsen – Cello. Find out more about Ken at ken-jacobsen.com. Also check out his his music education non-profit at https://www.destinycitymusic.org/

Dr. Laura Lynn – Violin. My gratitude to my teachers Persis Shook, Bill Watson, C. Irvin Wright, Anne Tremaine, Charmian Gadd, Barton Frank, and Edward Seferian for cultivating my life-long love of music.

Wyndi May – Flute. She has been playing for 25 years. Born and raised in California and have been living in the beautiful state of Washington for the last 10 years. Wyndi keeps up with my playing with both the TCC Orchestra and Band as well as the Formation Wind Band, an all-female identifying group based out of Seattle. She is obsessed with my dog, Schotzy and Disney. Hobbies outside of music include photography, visiting the animals at Point Defiance, NW Trek, and Woodland Park Zoo, and reading.

---

SPECIAL THANKS

All the fantastic musicians listed above who donated their time and effort to help my dream come true of performing my music.

Dr. John Falskow for connecting me with composing instructors, musicians and giving me encouragement.

Greg Youtz for amazing composing guidance, connecting me with musicians and giving me encouragement.

My incredible partner Katie for all the kind love, support and encouragement.

All my friends and family who have helped me along the way!

THANK YOU!!!