Ash & Stone: 1st Trombone

Grant refuses to settle for generic Grade 2 writing, and Ash & Stone proves it. The colorful percussion writing and fresh harmonic language set this apart from the usual Grade 2 fare, while the volcanic program gives students a vivid musical story to inhabit without requiring orchestration beyond their ability. Programming this signals to your students and audience that Grade 2 bands can perform music with real compositional ambition.

The piece erupts with volcanic energy, moving through shifting textures that feel raw and elemental. Colorful percussion punctuates a landscape of fresh harmonies and memorable lines, creating the sense of fire reshaping earth in real time.

Intermediate concert bands seeking Grade 2 repertoire with genuine compositional craft and a strong programmatic hook. Directors building a concert around thematic programming will find Ash & Stone an engaging centerpiece that demonstrates the ensemble's musical maturity without overextending technical demands.

• Balance the percussion colors carefully during the opening textures. These colorful touches define the work's character, so resist the temptation to bury them under the band sound.
• Shape the evocative melodies with phrase direction rather than dynamic swells. Let the fresh harmonies underneath support the line naturally.
• Prepare your students to hear the volcanic imagery as a collaborative effort. When percussion, brass, and woodwinds all contribute to depicting fire and fury, the impact lands with far greater power.

Program this as a contest entry or festival selection where you want to showcase musical sophistication at Grade 2. It also works beautifully in a thematic concert pairing it with other programmatic works or geology-inspired pieces, giving your students a season-long lens through which to understand concert programming and storytelling.

• Following program music and translating visual imagery into musical interpretation
• Balancing exposed percussion writing within a full ensemble texture
• Sustaining ensemble precision through shifting timbral colors and harmonic language
• Responding to fresh harmonic movement and non-traditional Grade 2 voice leading