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Ryan Spencer |
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Composer / Arranger / Sound Engineer / Trumpeter |
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in my compositions, i continually look for new sounds and means of musical expression. i compose for large ensembles such as concert band, choir, and string orchestra, as well as for various chamber ensembles.
if you would like to commission a new piece, please contact me here: |
LIST OF WORKS
| Large Ensembles | Chamber Music | ((V.I. Series)) | |
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Large Ensembles |
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Ancient Tombs (2011)
Includes one 11"x17" score, 38 parts and a reference recording. $90.00 |
Ancient Tombs is a tour de force for concert band, approximately Grade IV. It evokes images of Egyptian Pyramids, burials, crypts and more. Parts include: Piccolo, Flute 1, Flute 2/3, Oboe 1, Oboe 2, Bassoon 1/2, Clarinet in Eb, Clarinet in Bb 1, Clarinet in Bb 2/3, Bass Clarinet, Alto Sax 1/2, Tenor Sax, Baritone Sax, Trumpet in Bb 1/2, Cornet 1, Cornet 2/3, Horn in F 1/2, Horn in F 3/4, Trombone 1/2, Bass Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba, Contrabass, Timpani, Percussion 1 (Bass Drum, Triangle, Tam-Tam, Finger Cymbals, Suspended Cymbal), Percussion 2 (Suspended Cymbal, Side Drum, Glockenspiel, Snare Drum, Crash Cymbals), Percussion 3 (Crash Cymbals, Vibraphone, Chimes, Glockenspiel).
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Prelude for Strings (2011)
Includes one 8.5"x11" score, 32 parts and a reference recording. $45.00 |
Prelude for Strings is a short concert piece for string orchestra, based on the first piece I ever wrote, Trumpet Duet (2002). It is in C Major and its simple ABA form holds melodies that are both fun to play and memorable to the listener. Parts include: 8 Violin I, 8 Violin II, 6 Viola, 6 Cello, 4 Bass.
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Alone (2007)
Includes one 8.5"x11" score and a reference recording. $65.00 |
Alone is based on and set to Edgar Allan Poe's poem of the same title. It was composed in 2007 to fulfill the University of Colorado at Boulder Undergraduate Composition Commission. It was premiered on April 9th, 2008 by CU's Collegiate Chorale, under the direction of Matthew Potterton. You can view a video of the performance here.
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Chaconne (2004) |
Chaconne is a single-movement piece written for concert band.
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Chamber Ensembles |
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Amazon Factory (2009)
Includes one 11"x8.5" score, 4 parts and a reference recording. $35.00 |
Amazon Factory is a virtuosic quartet for four 4⅔-octave marimbas. It only needs two mallets per player, but just barely. This piece was conceived and written during the summer of 2009, when I was on staff with SCV. Every day I listened to the members of the pit play constantly, and decided it was time to write for the beautiful marimba. The title is derived from two sources: 1) it has a jungle-like yet mechanical/metronomic feel throughout, and 2) SCV's 2009 pit created four strong female players.
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Still Flow (2009)
Includes two 8.5"x11" scores and a reference recording. $25.00 |
Still Flow is a duet that was also composed during the summer of 2009, specifically for two friends of mine, and members of SCV: drum major/trumpet Stephanie Lee, and trumpet/soloist Eileen Engelberg. The title comes from the piece's ABA form, where the A section exudes a stillness without stagnation, yet the B section flows through different keys, registers, and feelings.
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Mango (2007)
Includes two 8.5"x11" scores and a reference recording. $30.00 |
Mango (Meagan's Tango) is a tango for Violin and Piano. It was co-written in collaboration with Soprano vocalist (and erstwhile violinist & dancer) Meagan Mahlberg. There are a few primary themes that move between different voices, textures, and tessituras. The piece begins with a short improvisatory introduction, and once the strong, driving tempo of the tango starts, it never stops.
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This Quiet (2006)
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This Quiet is a trio for Soprano, Cello, and Piano composed for Meagan Mahlberg's wide vocal range and capabilities. In this piece, the Soprano is called on to sing both an E3 (impressive for any Alto) and a G6 (remarkable for any lyric or coloratura Soprano). Its text is only sounds: vowel shapes and phonemes. This came from my dismay at hearing the occasional vocalist's performance where I struggled to understand the words, and led me to write a piece without any. The title intimates that quiet solidarity of the mind that is usually only ever acheived on purely by chance, but nonetheless tranquilizing.
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Constructions (2005)
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Constructions is a suite for six trumpets in five movements. I-Columns begins on a unison, and ends on a massive tritone delineating the "full" range of the horn, slowly expanding chromatically, rhythmically, and dynamically. II-Assembly is all extended techniques of various sound effects you can make with the horn itself. One of these is "popping" the mouthpiece, which produces a pitch, and of which III-Blocks is entirely comprised. Mvts. II & III utilize the extended range capabilities of the Bb piccolo, Eb, C, Bb, and flugelhorn. IV-Arches is for six harmon-muted Bb trumpets as a short interlude, leading to the final movement. V-Structure is the completion of all the assembled materials and the culmination of the harmonies and rhythms of the whole piece.
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Racquetball Fanfare (2005)
Includes four 11"x8.5" scores. $5.00 |
Racquetball Fanfare was composed at the behest of four trumpet players who would often go play racquetball together after rehearsing at the College of Music at CU. It was never actually performed in a racquetball court, although certainly could have been.
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Story of a Soldier (2005)
Includes one 8.5"x11" score and a reference recording. $10.00 |
Story of a Soldier is a four-movement piece for solo piano. It is thus far the only 12-tone piece I have ever written, at insistence of my first composition professor at CU, Richard Toensing, saying that it would be "good for me." I followed the rules of strict 12-tone writing as best I could, but strived for tonality whenever possible. The story is told through its movements: Slow March, Nightmare, Morning, and March.
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Dreamsong (2005)
Includes one 11"x8.5" score, 4 parts and a reference recording. $15.00 |
Dreamsong is a mixed quartet for Oboe, Bb Clarinet, Bassoon, and Cello. It is the first piece I wrote while studying composition. The primary melody came fully formed to me after waking up one morning, so it had to have come from a dream. This feeling is conveyed by the flowing, lyrical gestures throughout.
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Piano Sonata #1 (2004)
Includes one 8.5"x11" score and a reference recording. $10.00 |
Piano Sonata #1 is for solo piano. It began as an assignment for music theory class while in college and grew into a full sonata, complete with exposition, development and recapitulation.
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Snowy Holiday (2003)
Includes one 8.5"x11" score, 5 parts and a reference recording. $30.00 |
Snowy Holiday is for brass quintet. The idea of the piece grew from the combination of a simple harmonic progression coupled with the warm sound of seventh chords. It is this warm and simple feeling that reminded me of holidays in winter.
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A Few Minor Variations (2003)
Includes one 8.5"x11" score, 5 parts and a reference recording. $15.00 |
A Few Minor Variations is a collection of various ideas in a minor mode that were compiled for brass quintet. This earlier work contains simple harmonic progressions, but has some surprisingly dramatic melodic figures interspersed throughout its slightly-attention-deficit stylistic approach.
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((V.I. Series))
The ((V.I. Series)) is a solo / ensemble series for younger musicians that is not instrument specific. It is written specifically to teach
students to learn how to make music and collaborate with others artistically.
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Includes score, parts and recording. $35.00 |
((V.I. Series)) Trio.
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Includes score, parts and recording. $30.00 |
((V.I. Series)) Duet.
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Includes score, parts and recording. $30.00 |
((V.I. Series)) Duet.
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Includes score, parts and recording. $25.00 |
((V.I. Series)) Solo.
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