BENJAMIN DEAN TAYLOR, composer
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STACK


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Instrumentation: young band
Difficulty: grade 1
Duration: 3 minutes








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Perusal Score

perusal_stack_score.pdf
File Size: 5005 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Rock Balancing

Program Note
This past summer I was introduced to the incredible art form of rock stacking, in which artists carefully balance rocks in seemingly impossible ways. To see some visually stunning photos, google image search “Michael Grab.” I have been so fascinated by the art form that I have spent many hours researching and practicing with my own rocks. Though I only consider myself an amateur, I have found this hobby to be refreshingly simple and wholesome. Not only does it provide moderate exercise when working with large rocks but rock stacking has connected me with a meditative state of patience, awareness, and inner peace. Often times when I’m at my desk writing music and am having trouble with a compositional problem, I pull out my “indoor” collection of rocks and make a stack right there on my desk. I find it meditative and relaxing.

Stack is a piece of music directly inspired by my love of rock stacking. For example, there are two major sections of the piece where the musicians are figuratively making a rock stack. First one melody is added, then another melody is layered on top of the first, then a third is added, with each melody representing a different rock. Each of these sections concludes with a held fermata, which represents the completed, balanced stack of 3 rocks. Another example is evident in the harmonies of the piece consisting of stacked fifths and often arranged so that they create sus chords, also known as suspended chords. These chords tend to feel unresolved, unstable, wanting to move yet being frozen. In my mind, this represent the poignant dichotomy of stasis versus movement inherent in a well crafted rock stack — It looks like it should fall over at any moment! And yet it stands still, perfectly suspended!

Stack was commissioned by a consortium led by Sarah Posegate and the students of Russell I Doig Middle School Sixth Grade Band. I am so grateful for their support and encouragement during the composition process, and especially grateful for their enthusiastic response to the completed work!

 Here is a sampling of my work:
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Purchase

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PURCHASE OPTIONS
Band director name and email
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For all other payment arrangements, please email benjamintaylormusic@gmail.com

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  • Home
  • Biography
  • Works
    • Orchestra >
      • Flex Works
      • Snitchin' in the Kitchen (grade 3 with audio track)
      • Electric Breakdance (string orchestra)
      • Aurum Tetra (Saxophone Quartet Concerto)
      • Aurum Tetra (string quartet concerto)
      • Worlds Without End
      • Dizzy Overture
      • Mile-High City (string orchestra)
      • Leaving White
      • Leap (chamber orchestra)
      • Drifting Indigo
    • Wind band >
      • Flex Works >
        • Electric Breakdance (grade 1) with audio track
        • Pandemic Pandemonium (grade 2)
        • Earth Resonance (grade 3 with audio track)
        • Intermountain Underground (grade 3 with audio track)
        • Snitchin' in the Kitchen (grade 3 with audio track)
        • Legos Emit Gnarly Overtones (grade 2 with audio track)
        • Techno Blade (grade 2) with audio track
      • Electric Breakdance (grade 1) with audio track
      • STACK (grade 1)
      • Legos Emit Gnarly Overtones (grade 2 with audio track)
      • Techno Blade (regular version, grade 2) with audio track
      • Pandemic Pandemonium (grade 2)
      • A Flicker in Time (grade 2.5)
      • Scooter Time (grade 2.5)
      • Party Potatoes (concerto + band, grade 3)
      • A Father's Hymn (grade 3)
      • Epic Bacon Funk (grade 3)
      • Intermountain Underground (regular version, grade 3 with audio track)
      • Into The Mist (grade 3)
      • Maze of 1000 Mirrors (March, grade 3)
      • Motorcycle Time (grade 3)
      • Our Puzzle (grade 3)
      • And May We Always Cherish (Grade 3)
      • The Hope Within (grade 3)
      • The Excitement of Fear (grade 3.5)
      • Another Day in the Park (grade 4)
      • Chinese Fire Drill (grade 4)
      • Cold Lights (band+video) (grade 4)
      • Mile a Minute (grade 4)
      • Seeds of Glass (band+video) (grade 4)
      • Shattering Infinity (grade 4)
      • Powerhouse (grade 4)
      • Trailing Clouds Of Glory (grade 4)
      • With Wings As Eagles (grade 4)
      • Leaving White (grade 5)
      • Whiz-Bang (grade 5)
      • Shattering Infinity (marching band)
    • Jazz Big Band >
      • Baby Jack's Blues
      • Can I See Your Socks
      • Chocolate Covered Cherries
      • Concerto por Trombonito
      • Garapan
      • High Road
      • No Improv Monday
      • The Greasy Toaster
      • White Cliffs of Dover (arr.)
    • Choir >
      • Little Lamb (SATB choir)
      • Eternity's Heirs
    • Saxophone(s) >
      • Sax Quartet Concerto Consortium Commission
      • Get More Epic!
      • Digital Goldfish (Sax Quartet)
      • Drum N Bari
      • The Secret Life
      • Shipbreaking
      • To Raise Up
    • Bass Clarinet >
      • Drum N Bass Clarinet
    • Bassoon >
      • Drum N Bassoon
    • Trumpet >
      • Stop.Rewind.Play. (solo + video)
      • Now You Will ... (solo)
    • Trombone(s) >
      • Funky Bone (trombone choir)
      • Beyond Coincidence (trombone choir)
      • A Call for Courage (trombone choir)
      • Can You Crack It? (solo and tape)
    • Euphonium >
      • Euph + Drum Set CONSORTIUM
      • Bitcoin's Bull Run (euph+EA)
      • FLOW (euph + EA)
      • Drum N Euph (euph + EA)
    • Tuba >
      • Tuba + Drum Set CONSORTIUM
      • Party Potatoes (concerto + band)
      • Drum N Tuba
    • Contrabass >
      • First Punch
      • FE26 (contrabass + electronics)
      • Digital Assistant
      • 7 Million Results
    • Percussion >
      • Silounds
      • Standard Literature (ensemble)
      • Unrepeatable Expression (ensemble)
      • Non-REM Sleep
    • Piano >
      • All That Remains (Piano + Electronics)
    • Chamber Works >
      • Panic Later (mixed quartet)
  • Contact
  • Dixieland Band
  • Family
  • Commissions
    • Solo + Death Metal
    • Sax Quartet Concerto Consortium Commission
    • Trumpet Consortium Commission
  • UMBS Presentation