Unit Study - Shenandoah
Unit Study - Shenandoah
Unit Study - Shenandoah
Unit 1: Composer
In 1958, Frank Ticheli was born in Monroe, Louisiana. His musical journey began when
he started playing trumpet in 4th grade. His family moved around frequently which overtime
caused him to lose his passion for music and quit playing trumpet. It wasn’t until his family
moved to Richardson, Texas where his musical spark was rekindled. It was his high school band
director, Robert Floyd, who inspired Ticheli to continue making music. Ticheli wrote his first
piece while in high school for a jazz ensemble. Ticheli went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in
composition and music education from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He studied
music education with William Lively and Howard Dunn and composition with Bruce Faulconer,
Jack Waldenmaier, and Donald Erb (Moorhouse). After he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1981,
he went on to earn both his masters and doctorates degree in composition from Michigan State
University. While studying at Michigan State University, Ticheli studied under William Bolcom,
Leslie Bassett, William Albright, and George Wilson. It was these wonderful but contrasting
professors that helped shape Ticheli and his works (Ticheli).
After getting his doctorates in 1987, Ticheli didn’t get offered a position as a professor
until 10 years later. During the 10 years that he wasn’t a professor at a university, he took a job
writing music for an Ann Arbor theater production of Moliere’s Don Juan. Once the production
was over he worked on composing what is now Portrait of a Clown and Fortress. These two
pieces and Concertino for Trombone and Band (a piece that he composed while getting his
doctorates) were what Ticheli considered to be his first pieces. After the 10 years of not having
an official job, Trinity University in San Antonio offered Ticheli the position of Assistant
Professor of Music (Ticheli).
Ticheli took on the position at Trinity University in San Antonio for 3 years. During his
second year at Trinity University he was offered a position to teach at the University of Southern
California. Initially, Ticheli had turned down the University of Southern California’s offer. It
wasn’t until he got a call from Carl St. Clair, the director of the Pacific Symphony Orchestra,
which made Ticheli reconsider USC’s offer. St. Clair was wanting a composer for his orchestra
which also happened to be in California. Ticheli ended up accepting both positions with
University of Southern California and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra. Although he is no longer
composing for the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, it made a huge impact on his development as a
composer. Ticheli still holds the title as Professor of Composition at University of Southern
California and currently lives in Pasadina, California with his wife, Shari, and their two kids
(Moorhouse).
Since moving to California, Ticheli has been recognized all over the world and has
received many awards. In 2012, Ticheli received the Arts and Letters Award from the American
Academy of Arts and Letters and the Revelli Memorial Prize from the National Band
Association (USC Thorton School of Music). He also received first place in both the Britten-on-
the-Bay Choral Composition Contest (1999) and the Delius Choral Composition Contest (2000)
for his composition of There Will Be Rest (2000).
Unit 2: Composition
Shenandoah (1999) was commissioned by the Hill Country Middle School Symphonic
Band which was directed by Cheryl Floyd and Brad Smith at the time. Ticheli dedicated the
piece in memory of their beloved friend, Jonathan Paul Cosentino (1984-1997) who was a horn
player in the Hill Country band program. This rendition on Shenandoah was inspired by “the
freedom and beauty of the folk melody and by the images evoked by the words, especially the
image of the river.” The mood in the piece ranges from quiet reflection, through growing
optimism, to profound exaltation. The original text was written by Bob Dylan and are as follows:
Now the Missouri is a mighty river For seven years I courted Sally
Look away, you rollin' river Look away, you rollin' river
Indians camp along her border Seven more years I longed to have her
Look away, we're bound away Look away, we're bound away
Across the wide Missouri. Across the wide Missouri.
Well, a white man loved an Indian maiden Well, it's fare-thee-well, my dear,
Look away, you rollin' river I'm bound to leave you
With notions his canoe was laden Look away, you rollin' river
Look away, we're bound away Shenandoah, I will not deceive you
Across the wide Missouri. Look away, we're bound away
Across the wide Missouri.
Melody: The Horns as well as a solo Euphonium provide the first statement of the melody in
measures 1-11. The melody is in a “darker” register for these instruments and the Euphonium
acts as a support to the Horns. The second statement of the melody is in measures 12-22 in a
brighter register and is imitated by Flute and Oboe. This melody is later made into a 3-part canon
at measures 41-51 with the 3 Flute solos. The final statement of the melody is in measures 56-68
and is played by more instruments such as Clarinets, Alto Saxophones, and Horns.
Harmony: Below the melody are often chords that align with the melody that help support the
melodic line. There will also be moving lines that help shape the melody but don’t dominate at
the same time. For example, the first time that the melody is stated in the beginning all of the
Clarinets as well as the Tenor Saxophone play moving quarter notes under the Horns and
Euphonium. There are also times in which voices come in that imitate a portion of the melody a
couple measures after the melody begins playing again such as measure 13 with Flutes and
Oboes.
Rhythm: Rhythms to look out for are the sixteenth-notes that are attached to dotted eighth-notes
especially in the melodic line. There are also many releases that don’t occur on the beat so
making sure that students are subdividing and staying true to their rhythm will be important in
playing this piece.
Timbre: This piece is very lyrical and is very exposed for many instruments. There is lots of
contrast starting with less players and then growing to the full ensemble by the end of the piece.
The piece starts with a dark and rich texture with the Horn and the Euphonium. Around the
middle of the piece the music becomes a little more woodwind heavy which creates a soft yet
playful texture. And by the end we have the full ensemble with brass bold and triumphantly
creating a thicker texture to the music. Overall, this piece is delicate but powerful at the same
time.