MCI AT MIDWEST CLINIC 2019: COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT - KEVIN DAY

The final Composer Spotlight for our appearance at this year's Midwest Clinic conference features MCI composer Kevin Day! Kevin's work for wind ensemble, Havana, will be performed by the Clements High School Symphonic Band as part of their concert on Friday, December 20 from 6:15pm-7:15pm in Skyline Ballroom W375AB.
In addition, an arrangement of Day's chart Windy City (arranged for big band by MCI composer Josh Trentadue) will be featured during the Jazz New Music Reading Session on Friday, December 20 from 10:30am-11:30am at Ballroom W196.

VIEW OUR COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT FOR JOSH TRENTADUE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HIS ARRANGEMENT OF WINDY CITY

Be sure to check out this performance and the other events featuring music written by our MCI composers! In addition, you can also stop by Booth 2008 in the exhibition hall to meet 10 of our members and learn more about our initiative!

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The composer writes the following about Havana:

"Havana was a wind ensemble piece that I started working on in 2017, got about 30 measures into writing, and then put on the shelf. I couldn't think of what to do with it or come up with an idea, so I ended up just putting it aside until I could. I ended up forgetting about it and while I was searching through my music files one night in September 2018, I stumbled on this work and found inspiration to write on what I had. I wanted to tell a story with the piece and make it authentic, and so I spent a lot of time carefully writing the work. After messing with a few titles and feeling a good amount of frustration, I decided to go with Havana, despite there being a viral pop song already in existence with the same name (a song that is honestly a guilty pleasure of mine to listen to). This piece, however, has nothing to do with the Camilla Cabrello mega-hit.

Havana (For Wind Ensemble) is a 7.5-minute work that is heavily influenced by Cuban music, rhythms, and percussion. I wanted to highlight different dance genres such as the Salsa, Mambo, and Cha-Cha, while also making the piece in my own voice. I have a strong love for Latin music and so this was incredibly fun to write. I sought to paint a mental image of the city of Havana, this beautiful landscape, and the culture that it is known and beloved for. There are many "Latin-influenced" pieces for band already and so I wanted to make Havana stand out as one that is exciting and memorable. I hope that performers and audiences will tap their foot, bop their heads, and feel the music."

--program notes by the composer

Havana is published through Murphy Music Press and can be purchased here. We look forward to hearing the Clements HS Symphonic Band's performance of this work!

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